Shattered
by xHoHuMpIgSbUMx
Summary: The past hadn't just broken him, it had left him in a thousand shattered pieces... ALL HUMAN! I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT PLOT, ALL BELONGS TO STEPHANIE MEYER! X
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1- Shattered

"I'm sorry Jake, it was never you…it was always Edward…"

It was the beginning of the end when he stood outside Bella's house in the pouring rain. The cold punch of understanding was repressed by the hammering rain against his entire body.

She looked at him, with no sympathy and with no understanding; letting him take it like the man he was supposed to be. Letting him know in the most realistic way possible, and crushing him in the process.

"Never…" the words felt different, falling from his lips. Like a ghost of a past feeling.

She didn't reply, but simply let her eyes tell him that he had been a fool; a child that had been played at a game he was too naive to understand. He had been led along like a puppy and then feed to the wolves themselves. She watched as they tore him apart, and smiled as he yelped in agony. She smiled.

He felt ashamed, and he felt embarrassed, and used and betrayed and lost. The memory of walking back to his bike, and blitzing it down to La Push dissolved in the rain, but the moment it hit him would forever be ingrained in his memory. Walking into his room, and dumping his gear as he headed back out into the storm was when it hit him, like lightning he felt all the suppressed emotion fire through his body, and as his feet hit the cold muddy ground that lead to the woods, he felt the anger pump straight to his heart. Then he was gone; running faster and faster through the unknown darkness. Higher and higher he went, not looking back or thinking twice. It pushed him further and further trying to force it all out, make it go away. The pain was unbearable, and it stemmed further than the physical push of his muscles. His head and his heart ached for what he had lost-for what he had never had and for what he would regret. It was cold and it was sharp, making the tears burn down his face whilst his jaw locked tight, holding back the scream that begged for release.

At the top of the mountain, standing right on the edge of the cliff, he stopped to take it all in, and let it all go. The sea below was a perfect reflection as the waves crashed violently against the rocks, slowly destroying it, slowly eroding away the weak outer surface. Loose chips of rock were dragged down into the darkness, never to resurface.

As the storm rode away, and the sea calmed before the sun could rise, Jacob felt a change. His heart was slower and his head had stopped aching. He opened his eyes to the clear night sky, and watched as the distant stars made patterns and pictures above him. It was silent, and it was cold. He took a deep, refreshing breath, and let this change wash over him.

The forest stretched high into the grey sky as a soft drizzle gravitated towards the worn tarmac of the road leading to forks. This was the new, bleak beginning for Nessie, which she neither feared nor rejoiced. A constant life of travel left one feeling out of place nearly everywhere, as there were no roots to grow from. This time round she was in Forks, a small, quiet, unassuming town. She hoped their similarities would help her transition smoothly into her new 'life'. Hoping was something Nessie did often…

Pulling up to the small, white, weathered cottage, Nesssie felt her stomach tightening with nerves and anticipation. This would be her new home, for however long her dad could stay for. It looked nice enough from the outside; with wooden paneling down the walls and faded blue paint rimming the windows. The brown wooden door looked new and different from the original work, and stood out against the weathered materials. There had definitely been some refurbishment, such as the slate grey porch roof, that ran across the front of the house and the new wood of the steps leading up to the door showed it had obviously been repaired recently. Well at least it looked stable, and that's all she needed.

"Ness! Would you look at that, home sweet home!" her dad chuckled with excitement. He always did find the change of scenery more exciting than she did. She supposed he was used to it, seeing as he had been part of the same godforsaken company for the last 20 years. Something about healthcare, something about technology and something about promotions meant she had spent the majority of her life moving from city to town to city. Her dad swung open the door of their beat up land rover and stretched his aging limbs. He wasn't in bad shape for a man reaching his 40s. With a full head of brown curly hair, cut to a controlled length on his head, he still managed to woo the younger generation of women with his charming smile and gleaming hazel eyes. But that wasn't all the women liked; her dad had always been an outdoors guy, who liked nothing more than a morning run, rock climbing at the weekends and swimming in the summer. He had a healthy figure, with strong arms and a firm chest, which nessie loved nothing more than to cuddle up to. Her dad gave the best hugs.

Nessie slipped out the car and stood by the boot of the truck, ready to get started. She knew that when she had her personal belongings set out in her new room, and the kettle on for a nice cup of hot chocolate, it would all feel better. They started with the heavy boxes; but there weren't that many of them as her dad had come by the previous week when all the large furniture was delivered. She carried the box of electrical appliances into the kitchen whilst her dad unpacked the roof box.

It was a nice kitchen, a square with three rectangular windows along one side, to let in what little light there was outside. The surface was dark wood and the walls were pale blue. Their old kitchen table was placed by the wall furthest from the windows and their usual comfy chairs stood ready and waiting.

The rest of the house had a similarly friendly feel to it, with light blue walls and dark green carpets. It suited their red furniture well, and gave a burst of colour that made the whole place seem cosy. When all the big boxes of pictures and kitchen appliances were finally unpacked, Ness could start on her own boxes; the same that had been with her from the start. They never grew like she did, because there were few things in nessie life that she called her possessions.

Her room was a good size, at the back of the house up the creaky stairs, with dark purple walls and her beautiful oak double bed smack bang in the middle. There were two bay windows, one at the far end opposite the door and the other on the wall nearest the foot of her bed. Things were looking better, and she could start to see herself liking this place after all.

"Ness! Hot chocolate is ready!" called her dad from the kitchen.

A shit weekend, followed by an ever more fucked up week at school did not sound like the answer to Jacobs prayers right now. He chucked on a clean t-shirt and hooded jacket and said bye to his dad before sprinting to his bike and hitting accelerate all the way to forks high. He couldn't be late this week; he was already on a warning.

Tearing into the small parking lot, he eyed up his usual spot and found it…taken? What the fuck!

"You have got to be fucking with me" he growled under his breath. He pulled into the space next to the traitor bike and ripped off his helmet. People were staring; they knew that was his space, no one ever took his space. Fuck the little shit that pissed him off today.

Without a second glance he stormed towards the main building, determined not be late for his first class. When he entered the bustling crowd, his ears were assaulted by unattainable whispers. As he stalked along the corridor to his locker, he managed to catch the conversation of two gossiping girls behind him.

"She looks local, but I swear I have never seen her before"

"Well her attempts to fit in unnoticed failed majorly, I mean, did you see her hair?"

"Oh god yeah, I could spot her a mile away. I never did suit that colour"

"Good luck to her making friends, I doubt anyone wants to be seen with a redhead!"

"Unless it's Edward Cullen!"

They both giggled

"So true!"

Jacob slammed his locker door, and the shocked girls tottered off to class. That name; frickin' Edward Cullen. His day had just gotten even worse…

She had made it. She was safely inside the old, crumbling building in her first class, and there had been no heckling, no cornering and no annoying people begging to be her new friend…yet.

Nessie sat silently in room 101, waiting for the rest of her English class to join her. She guessed it wasn't a big school, from the fact that room 101 was the last room in the entire school. She found that rather nice, to have a school so small and personal. On the other hand, such a small school could only mean that gossip spread fast, and making enemies would not be a good idea. There were fewer cliques here than she usually expected, but that didn't mean she hadn't spotted the invisible line of order the moment she stepped past the doors.

The coolest and richest kids were all at one end of the main corridor, and then it went down in order until the most disliked or antisocial ones were by the entrance, waiting for the bell to chime so they could escape.

Nessie didn't have a locker yet.

Finally the other students began to file into the room, and when they noticed the new girl sitting casually at one of back tables, the whispers began.

She was used to it, so she couldn't complain. Everyone wanted to know the new girl, work out what she was in their society and how they could associate themselves with her. Nessie knew that within a week they would all have forgotten she was there and she would just be another face in the crowd. For now, however, she had to endure the stares and the smiles and the usual twenty questions that came with being an outsider.

However, before the invasion could begin, the teacher entered and, seeming to know immediately that she was the new girl pounced on her for an introduction "why hello there Nessie, I believe you are the new student. Would you like to come up here and introduce yourself so we can get this lesson started?"

He was a man around 30 with blonde hair and a charming smile. He wasted no time in getting Nessie introduced, and when the usual buzz had died down, he set to work on their next task.

"Everyone take a copy of Donne's poetry, and open up at page 23 entitled 'the flea'. Uley, you can read it, and then we will tear apart the analogies…"

Okay, so he was going to be late, and it wasn't even his fault!

After hearing the girls swoon over Cullen he wanted to punch something, but to reduce his destructive habit, Jacob left the main building for a quick smoke on the back field. Right now it was the only thing stopping him from punching someone and being kicked out of school. He didn't understand why he was so angry all the time, but it couldn't be helped. He had always had a reputation to be one of 'those La Push boys' who rode hard and drank heavy.

But then he met Bella, when she moved back to forks. She helped him stay calm, stay grounded, and they had such a good relationship. Until she met Cullen, and from that moment on it was all a competition for her affection and trying not to break Cullen's stupid face.

He took one last drag before crushing the evidence, and then made his way back for English. On the way past the parking lot he spotted them; holding hands and laughing as they walked towards the building. He whispered something in her ear and she giggled, lightly shoving him for his obviously sexual comment. Jake stumbled slightly, and they both looked in his direction; Green eyes of victory and Brown orbs of shock as she realized who was watching them.

Jacob couldn't get away quick enough; he lengthened his stride and shoved his hands deep into his pockets, hiding his quaking fists. He barreled through the doors and stomped down the hall to his class. He didn't give a fuck what Mr. James said, he would take any punishment to get away from 'them'.

"Well hello Mr. Black, how nice of you to join us. Please take the remaining seat and pay attention, you have a lot to catch up on."

Jacob sensed the sarcasm and slipped quickly into the empty seat at the back of the room. He barely noticed the girl next to him until she spoke.

"Do you want to share my copy?"

He looked at her and only then noticed that she wasn't usually in his class. She was a redhead, with pale skin and a thin figure. Not much of a rack, and too big eyes. She wore a pair of reading glasses and bit her lip constantly. He already had no interest in her.

Without answering he turned away and pulled out his own copy of the poetry book. He could guess what the work was and didn't feel the need to bother the new kid next to him for the rest of the lesson.

So they worked in silence, elbows occasionally touching whilst their pens tore relentlessly through sheet after sheet of paper. To Jake, analogies were a load of bullshit. Why not just say what you mean? Dragging it out is not only cruel but fucking infuriating.

When the bell rang Jacob flew from his chair and stomped out the room. Nessie just sat there, watching, and came to the conclusion that he was both angry, and beautiful.

Nessie had never felt as nervous in her life as the moment Mr. Black had entered the classroom. Everyone had gone quiet and focused on their work, avoiding the sight of the huge guy that stood at the front of the room, at least a foot taller than Mr. James. He was broad and strong looking, but Nessie knew from the reaction of her classmates that he was also feared.

She couldn't make out his facial features as his dark hood fell low over his brow, and the shadow made him look faceless. He made no answer to Mr. James' annoyed remark, but made his way to the seat next to Ness.

She could have crapped herself. She was so worried that the slightest movement might have him in a rage that she almost didn't offer to share the book with him. However she wasn't expecting him to react the way he did when she did finally offer; he slowly turned to her and looked her up and down. Nessie barely caught a glimpse of his face as the shadow of his hood was in full effect. Then without a word, he turned back to his bag and pulled out the book and his writing pad.

He could have said 'no thank you'.

She was beginning to get angry at the faceless prick next to her, until he lowered his hood, and then she wasn't sure what to feel.

His jet black hair was short and messy, with strands falling over his eyes. He had a strong jaw line, with the barest shadow of stubble visible from his profile view. His skin was a beautiful bronze, which made him look warm, even in the cold classroom. Nessie couldn't see the colour of his eyes, but she guessed they would be as dark as his mood.

For the rest of the lesson, concentration was at an all time low. She just wanted to look at him, constantly. She frowned slightly when the bell rang, and the only interesting part of her morning fled the room.

The cafeteria was the second most daunting part of her day; Nessie swept the hall for any sign of a clear table or free bench. She wasn't really the type to run up to strangers and make herself known, so she simply stood in the entrance, unsure of what to do next.

A petite girl danced past her, in what she guessed was the direction of one of the tables. Suddenly she stopped, spun on her heel and beamed at Nessie. Her pixie style, raven hair was a contrast to her soft angelic features and fair voice.

"You must be the new girl. I'm Alice" she held out her hand for Ness to shake, but before Ness could react she had already grabbed her hand and began to pull her towards a rather crowded table at the far end of the hall.

"Oh no, please don't make me sit there!" Nessie hissed, noticing the number of people occupying the small space, and all watching the pair as they neared them. They were like a pack of wolves, the alpha female and male raising their hackles at the sight of the new pup. The rest were on guard, ready to protect the pack.

Alice stopped suddenly, almost sending Nessie into the back of her.

"Ok" She said "well do you want to sit separately? I can't just leave you all on your own"

"uurrm, ok then" the fact that this girl seemed so desperate to sit with her was quite surprising, but they changed direction and wandered towards a small table that was clear of any other students.

Nessie dropped her bag in a heap and pulled out her paper bag containing a jam sandwich and green apple. The morning had dragged on for what felt like forever, and she was starving.

Alice just sat there and watched her, both patience and curiosity in her baby blue eyes. It was sort of unnerving that she watched her so intently, so Nessie decided to break the ice.

"So…Alice, tell me a bit about Forks high" God she sounded like a teacher or parent. To be honest she wasn't really sure what to say, and Alice's height did make her feel superior.

"well, where to start!" her excitement was scary, and she began to go through the social allocations of all the students in the hall, what their interests were, who was dating who, who was bitching about who and what Lauren did with Tyler last week. It became apparent that the wolves they had been faced with earlier were the popular kids; envied by some and adored by others. She didn't go into detail about them, whether it wasn't her place to or she just felt she shouldn't, the topic was avoided.

Alice was the same age as Nessie, but revealed that the majority of her friends were two years above. She gave the impression that she got along with everyone, which didn't sound surprising as her positive attitude was infectious, and Nessie found herself asking question after question, curious to know everything from this all knowing angel.

Lunch was going well, and Nessie felt like she was finally going to enjoy her first day, when the hall grew quiet. The two girls stopped talking, and Nessie turned to look at the cause of the silence.

Entering the hall was a group of around seven guys, all of them tall and broad with bronze skin and dark hair. They walked close together, with confidence and control, taking on the stares of any other guy that tried to defy them.

"They are known as the 'Pack'" Alice stated, low and informative "there's Quill, Embry, Paul, Seth, Jared, Colin and Brady. Then there is their leader, if you want to call him that…Jacob Black"

The last name had a hint of emotion behind it, whether it was resentment or fear, Nessie didn't know, she was too busy watching with a heated gaze as Jacob strode through the hall towards a table near the other large group.

As Alice had already stated; that side of the hall was occupied by the popular kids, which made no sense, as Jacob seemed to be feared rather than adored. Alice seemed to notice this:

"Let's just say that things have changed recently in the social standing of Forks High. All you need to know is that Jacob has issues and its best to stay clear of them."

The hall went back to its buzz of chatter, but Nessie couldn't seem to draw her eyes away from the beautiful angry boy on the far side of the room.

After lunch Alice led Nessie to her next lesson, history, which dragged on for another centaury until Nessie was ready to pull her hair out. Luckily she was saved by the bell, but then had to endure the last lesson of the day; Gym.

She hadn't thought she would need kit on her first day, so managed to win a pass from the lesson, but had to sit and watch everyone fling tennis balls around like their life depended on it. This observation proved to be quite comical as Nessie realized that some of these students seemed to have never picked up a tennis racket in their life.

When the torture lesson ended, Nessie dragged herself to her new locker where she gathered all her books. She was about to turn and leave when she felt a hard figure hit her in the back. She held onto the locker to keep steady, and turned to face a rather impatient Jacob Black.

Suddenly it felt a lot warmer…

"Watch where you're walking" he barked, glaring down at her with onyx eyes.

"Sorry" she mumbled, unsure whys she should have to apologies in the first place.

"Fucking new girl" he mumbled under his breath, making another move to get past her

"Excuse me?" Nessie felt the anger rising in her voice "Is this how you treat every new student?"

"Unless you're the chiefs' daughter, I couldn't give a fuck. Now get out of my way before I make you." He growled, his tone threatening, and only enhancing the fear that nessie felt.

He made to move past her, but, in a moment of shear stupidity and bravery, Nessie blocked him.

"Are you deaf? I said move!"

Nessie stood her ground

"What is your problem?" she spat, feeling the anger rise in her voice

"Right now, You"

"No, really, why do you feel the need to act like this towards someone you don't ever know?"

"And why do you feel the need to piss me off?" he growled

"Are you always like this? To everyone?" she probed, curiosity holding her anger in check.

"If you stick around long enough you'll find out for yourself" and with that he barged past her, making her trip in the process.

Nessie felt herself gravitating towards the lockers, but strong arms pulled her upright before she made contact.

"Are you ok?" a deep voice asked, still holding her steady.

"Yeah, thanks, I'm fine." Nessie watched Jacob storm out the main doors before turning to face her savior.

She was shocked to see a face, similar to Jacobs, staring down at her. The boy had a kind smile and warm chocolate eyes that made her feel secure in his hold around her shoulders.

"I'm Seth. Sorry about Jake, he's got a lot of issues, and I don't think your argument helped much."

"Uh, that's ok; he just didn't need to take it out on me."

He let her go and smiled softly "yeah I know. Well, as long as you're ok. I'll see you round." And he pushed off the locker and made his way after Jacob.

Nessie sighed. Today had been the most interesting first day she had ever had. She felt tired now, and fed up, not to mention slightly pissed off. Pulling her bag over her shoulder she made her way out of the school to wait for her dad to collect her.

A couple of meters away, a watchful pair of jade green eyes followed her closely. They watched her leave the building, and followed her out to the edge of the road where they saw her jump into a beat up land rover and ride away. He'd wanted to help her earlier, and had felt helpless when she was saved by another. But he had to keep his promise, and he knew he would never find out what was going on if he didn't stick to her rules.

There was just something about her that made him think he's seen her before.

Nessie had gone home feeling pissed off and vengeful. This wasn't her usual response to good looking well built dickheads, but she could make exceptions…

He was on time and in the right lesson. Today was going to be better than yesterday, and even the prospect of seeing that annoying little new girl would not dampen his mood.

He had gone home feeling angry and worried. Angry because of the petty little argument he had with the new girl, and worried because he had never intentionally meant to make her trip. When Seth caught up to him in the parking lot, he told him there was no need for that.

"She looked pretty shook up man. And she's not even that big, at least have some common decency man, you could have really hurt her."

Fucking Seth and his good nature meant that whenever Jake makes a mistake, he would end up feeling remorseful. The kid was just too damn nice. So today he had decided to apologize to the girl, and hopefully she would turn to mush when he hit her with the charm and flexed his muscles. All would be forgiven.

It was strange really, that on her second day she had made one new friend and one new enemy. The rest of the school still seemed besotted with the idea of her, and she felt her confidence falter at all the stares and whispers as she made her way around the school. Alice had waved at her from the parking lot, and Nessie had noticed the Silver Volvo she stood by, surrounded by the people who intimidated her at lunch the day before. They still held a cold gaze towards her, but this fizzled out as Alice smiled and winked at her; almost a silent promise that everything would be ok.

When she entered the English classroom, he was already there. Sitting at her table with his books already arranged. He was relaxed, with his hands behind his head, and his legs stretched out fully so they pushed against the legs of the chair in front. Today he was wearing dark blue jeans with big black boots. His grey T-shirt stretched tight over his long, hard torso, and Nessie felt her heart skip as his eyes caught hers and he grinned.

Oh my, that smile. It was both dangerous and alluring. He maintained this look as she made her way towards him and sat down in the spare seat. It was definitely hotter in here than it had been outside, but Nessie didn't want to move, incase this whole allusion of kindness fell to pieces.

"So you're called Nessie right? And that's short for?" he had turned in his seat, and sat up taller, making him even more intimidating than before.

She didn't know what to say! Was this the same gut as yesterday? She stared, dumbstruck by his change in character. This had to be a joke.

"Renesmee, but everyone calls me Nessie." She whispered, waiting for the moment Jekyll or Hyde popped out.

"Nice. Well I'm Jacob Black" and he stretched his hand out to shake.

This had to be a set up, was this guy serious? He had shouted at her in the corridor, ignored her in the previous lesson and now he wanted to reacquaint? Nessie just stared at his hand in surprise. Jacob seemed to notice her confusion and dropped his hand.

"Look, I know we didn't get off to a great start yesterday. I was having a rough time and I shouldn't have let it out on the new Girl. I'm sorry for what I said yesterday, can we please start over?" he put on his best innocent face and waited for her reply.

It wasn't what he expected

"Until you learn to control your multiple personalities, I don't really want anything to do with you" she stated, watching with satisfaction as the smile on his face fell to a slim line of distaste. "Everyone has issues, that's no excuse for the way you treated me, so no, apology not excepted and I think we should carry on just as we are."

With that, Nessie swung her bag onto the desk and removed her books, then after dropping the bag on the floor, she proceeded to read in silence.

Jacob was stunned.

The rest of the class began to filter in, and he just sat there, staring at the profile of this infuriating girl until Mr. James started the class.

Bitch. Absolute utter infuriating, redhead! He had tried playing nice, it hadn't worked. If she wanted them to carry on as they were then he would do that, after all, Jake liked to think of himself as a nice guy…

Nessie felt good. The whole 'throw it back in his face' move had worked a treat, and now she could hope and pray that he wouldn't bother her again. Unless he wanted to keep sitting so close to her…the feel of his warm side against hers was rather nice, and distracting…

"Could you move over a bit…please" she whispered, as she tried to keep her eyes on the presentation ahead.

He didn't move. Did he hear her?

She nudged him, trying to give a hint, but either he was engrossed in the poem about a flea, or he was ignoring her.

"Jacob, move over!" she hissed, getting a bit too warm from his touch.

Nothing

Nessie sighed, and pushed her chair in the other direction, so she was perched on the edge of the desk, practically hugging the leg of it.

Here was silence for a moment, until she heard the creak of a chair, and Jacob moved closer her way, stretching his arms out and slouching in his chair. Dick!

"Do you mind?" spat Nessie, no longer paying attention to the presentation

Jacob smiled at her, sexy and cocky all at the same time "no".

They stared at each other for a while, waiting for one of them to back down. Onyx against Emerald. The intensity grew until the bell rang, and they tension snapped as they distanced themselves.

"Remember to start the research for your poetry presentation. We will start presenting at the end of next week, so I want commitment people!"

Mr. James reminder didn't seem to register as Jacob stood to his full height, making Nessie feel like a munchkin. Without looking back, he left the room.

He may be the most annoying person she had ever met, but damn was he sexy.

That wasn't the last incident she had with him; later that morning when she exited a classroom, he was waiting, and in her shock she walked into him and dropped all her things.

"Watch it" he spat and moved around her, leaving Nessie to pick up everything in the midst of a crowded corridor.

"Thanks a lot" she mumbled as her fingers got squished and her legs got knocked.

Then just before lunch he barged past her, sending her almost into her open locker. He didn't look back and he didn't apologize.

She was knocked, walked into, tripped, and growled at whenever she passed him; which seemed too frequent for her liking. On the plus side, she had a lot of male attention every time there was an accident. And some girls were kind enough to help her collect her things. So for every knock, there was a friendship made.

By the time it got to lunch, Nessie had a dozen offers to join people in the cafeteria, but she turned them all down when she saw Alice waiting at their table.

"Jeez, someone got popular. Is it ok for me to sit with you or am I not worthy?" she mocked, referring to the mill of people that had crowded Nessie as she entered the hall.

"To be perfectly honest the only company I want right now is your" Nessie sighed, flopping into a chair.

"Oh that's so sweet Ness, but, I don't feel I can be in a relationship with someone I barely know."

"Ha-ha" drawled Nessie as she dug in to her lunch. She felt exhausted and annoyed.

Alice noticed this with a frown "what's wrong?"

"Jacob Black"

That statement alone seemed enough for Alice to Swing her chair around she they were next to each other.

"What has he done" she asked "is he bothering you?" she seemed quite panicked.

"Nothing serious. Why? Should I be worried?" Alice's reaction seemed strange, like there was something she was hiding.

"Oh, okay then"

"No Alice, what is going on? Is there something I should know?"

She looked nervous, like it wasn't her place to say anything. But the tone in Nessie's voice left no room for avoidance.

"Jacob wasn't always an angry guy. He used to be like sunshine. That seems like a strange thing to say but he was. I have never known someone who could light up a room the way he could. It's not just his smile or his face; he was so positive, and so caring of everyone. Everyone liked Jacob, he never had any problems.

"There was even a time when he and Edward were close. You've heard of Edward right?"

Nessie shook her head, but watched as Alice looked over to the crowded, scary table. She noticed a gorgeous young guy with copper hair holding hands with a girl. They were smiling and laughing lightly at their own private joke. They were the picture of a happy couple, and Nessie felt her heart twist for some unknown reason.

"That guy right there is Edward. My brother."

Nessie stared at Alice in shock. She was related to that beautiful boy? But when she looked back at him, she saw the resemblance. They shared the same poker straight nose and ivory skin, the same rose lips and dazzling smile. She knew the occupants of that table were two years older, so it wasn't surprising that they could be related. What was surprising was the way Alice mentioned him, as if she regretted their attachment. Nessie knew the feeling.

"At one point, Jake and Edward were good friends. They were the two handsome guys who had to fight off the swooning girls. That was, until Bella arrived. About two years ago she came to Forks to stay with her dad Charlie, he's the Sheriff. When she arrived things changed.

"Jacob had known her previously through the family. When she arrived he tried to rekindle their friendship, but since she was older she wasn't that interested. She wanted Edward. It's true, they had chemistry since the beginning, but as they got closer, Jake was pushed out the limelight."

"So he's angry because he is less popular?" This was the most pathetic story Nessie had ever heard.

"No it wasn't the popularity. Edward and Bells began to date, and they were inseparable, they still are. But Jake got left behind, and his friendship with Edward became strained. Everyone could see that Jake liked Bells. He seemed to be coping well until the summer Edward went to England to see our relatives. Bella hadn't wanted him to go, saying she would miss him too much, and Edward had never been very good at keeping girls before so the rumor was that he was trying to break up with her gently.

"So over the summer, Bells got close to Jake again. They spent so much time together, at parties and always at the beach. It was getting pretty heated until Edward came back, and Bells practically leapt into his arms again. Jake was hurt, a lot. By now the idea of him and Edward being friends was history, and the rejection was too much. He started getting into fights and stuff, drinking and driving, vandalizing property with his La Push friends. Bells and Edward tried to stop him but he was just too upset about Bella.

"They are in love; Edward and Bella, and there is nothing Jake can do to stop that. There was this party a couple of months ago, when Jake had this huge argument with Bella, she wanted to be friends but he couldn't do it. He tried to kiss her and she rejected him. But later that night, word got round that Edward had kissed some girl. It wasn't true of course, Edward wasn't even there for most of it, but Bella didn't wait to ask and went and kissed Jake, in an attempt for revenge. At the time they tried to keep it secret, but she couldn't hide it from Edward and he forgave her, he knew she was just confused about her feelings.

"Jake tried to confront her about it, but she publicly told him there was nothing going on, and that he should just 'grow up and move on'. He was hurt, but something must have happened at the weekend for him to get like this."

So it was love that made him like this. Nessie watched the couple that had destroyed Jake, and sighed. They really did look so happy, there was no way Jake could have come between them…no one could.

The next few days went by in a blur, with nessie trying to stay on top of work and settling into her new home. Her dad worked a lot so she was left alone a lot of the time, giving her time to think about Jake and what Bella did to him. It was cruel, using someone and their feelings in that way. He seemed to have built this hard exterior which he used to shoulder away every feeling and comment.

His attitude hadn't gotten any better, and he still managed to get on Nessie's nerves. They would sit in silence during lessons, of which they shared two on most days. However, sometimes she could feel his gaze on her, burning at the surface of her skin. The nerves never ceased, and she continued to keep her guard up in case he lashed out again.

It was a constant battle inside; to keep her from getting angry at his unnecessary comments or fighting back when he argued with her.

She saw him in the parking lot as the last bell rang, and chased after him.

"Jacob! Hey, stop!" she panted, dodging parked cars in an attempt to catch him in time

He turned and glared, recognizing that annoying voice anywhere, but for a second, he had mistaken it for someone else…

"What do you want?" he growled turning back to continue out of the grounds. He had caught a lift this morning to avoid being late, but wanted to have some solace on the way home.

"I just, can we talk please?" she seemed hesitant, but kept up with his stride.

They carried on walking for a while, both headed in the same direction down the path carved through the forest.

Jacob stopped abruptly "well?" he spat "are you going to talk or not? I'm not in the mood for one of your pathetic attempts at making me apologize."

In truth, she had forgotten what she wanted to say the moment they had left the school grounds. Her heart was racing with nerves as she thought about his potential anger, and she wasn't sure she wanted to talk to him anymore. But his attitude sparked the memory of her talk with Alice at lunch and her curiosity.

"I heard about you and Bella Swan." She started, not sure if she should carry on.

"What about her" it wasn't a question

"well I understand why you're so angry, and I'm sorry."

Something flashed in Jacobs eyes, and he dropped his bag as he took a step towards Nessie. He was so close and so quiet it scared her, as he glared down at her in distaste.

"You're sorry? You're fucking sorry! For what exactly, because last time I checked it was nothing to do with you! In fact, I don't know why you're talking to be about it as it's none of your business!"

"Look, I'm just, trying to be nice. I didn't mean to upset you" she whispered, wishing they weren't alone in the woods.

"Well don't be! Its people like you that make me this way. Pretending to care! You can take your affection and shove it up your-!"

"Hey I said I was sorry! I just thought you might like to know that I'm here if you wanted to talk…get it off your chest."

"Why? Why would you want to do that? You haven't even been here a week and you want to help someone you don't even know and don't even like?"

"I don't know why, I just thought I should"

It was true, she had no idea why she followed him and put up with his anger. There was just something inside her making her feel she should be there for him. Since she had met him she'd felt she needed to know him.

Jacob looked at her now, properly. She looked confused and embarrassed by what she had said. Could she really want to help him?

There was silence as Jake picked up his bag and stepped away. Nessie did the same.

He felt a pang of guilt at making her so nervous.

"If you really want to help, we have some research to do for English. I don't have good internet, but if you do then maybe we could work at your house?" yet again this wasn't directed as a question, but Nessie felt that would be a start, and she hadn't even thought about the project yet.

"Yer that's fine, err, I will talk to you about times tomorrow?"

"Yer whatever." And with that he stalked off into the woods, leaving Nessie to trudge back to her house.

They were making progress, and she found she didn't mind his attitude as much as the week had progressed. It was strange that she cared so much, he was right, she hadn't even been there two days and she already wanted to get to know him and help him with his problems.

She decided to forget about this strange new interest, she had other issues to sort out.

She eventually got home and dragged herself into the kitchen for a drink. As the kettle boiled the front door opened and her dad came in followed by another man. They were chatting animatedly until they noticed her in the kitchen.

"Hey Ness! Look who is here to see us."

He stepped aside and Nessie smiled as a man she recognized came into view. Years hadn't changed him and he still had the thick moustache and gentle smile.

"Well Nessie, look how you've grown. It's great to see ya"

"Good to see you to Charlie!" and she ran into his embrace.

This is the first chapter of my new story, I hope you liked it. I understand it isn't very interesting at the moment, but I'm hoping you will like it as the story progresses.

Please R&R and any feedback is good feedback to me xx


	2. Chapter 2

**Heyy thank you for sticking around and reading this I know it has been a while since my last update but exams are getting in the way. I don't plan on rushing any of this so be prepared for things to develop slowly (but not too slow). Please R&R at the end! Xx**

Jacob wasn't sure what it was about this girl, but whenever they were around each other he felt a spark of anger, and he couldn't look at her without seeing red. Was it because she cared? Maybe the fact that she tried to get to know him and see his side made him defensive. It was odd the way his feeling for a new girl had become so negative when she hadn't really done anything wrong.

There was something about her that he recognized, like déjà vu. It didn't make sense, as she was completely different from the majority of girls he knew. Her hair was violent red, like illuminated copper, and it fell gracefully down her spine. She had a small frame, one he could easily crush, but she seemed strong and unbreakable at the same time.

Her figure was average, just filling into herself, growing into a woman. But that wasn't what had his mind whirling; it was her face; her bright green eyes that contrasted strongly with her dark lashes, and her pale skin; sprinkled with freckles.

It was the way her lips revealed all her emotions as she bit and pulled and pressed them unconsciously. Their colour could change from rose pink to white to deep red in a matter of seconds. He was always looking at her lips, like they were the key to understanding her, and for some unknown reason he had to understand her…

Opening the door to his small wooden home, he called out to his dad and headed towards the fridge; he needed food to occupy his mind.

Billy came rolling into the kitchen, his expression sour and reluctant. Jacob smiled knowingly and reached up to the box of pills above the fridge. He poured out two white and one orange and handed them to his unhappy father with a glass of water.

"You know, I used to look forward to you coming home" Billy said, swallowing the medication quickly.

Jacob laughed, and went back to making a triple meat sandwich.

It had been Jake and his dad for as long as he could remember; his mother had passed away when he was still an infant, in the same accident that had injured his father.

He could see it in his eyes; the constant grief and loneliness that couldn't be overcome, even with Jake around. The pictures were still around the house, watching, smiling, and laughing from a time long gone.

Sometimes he would blame himself, as the only reason she had died was to protect him from the impact. He had been weak, so she had been strong. Now it was different, and he wished she was here to see how strong he had grown.

They were close, Jake and Billy. But the recent change of character in Jacob had put a strain on them both. Deep down Jacob knew that his father blamed himself for Jacobs' anger and unhappiness, whilst his son blamed himself for his father's grief.

"Is everything getting better at school? I haven't had any letters saying they're chucking you out"

Billy grinned, but Jacob knew the seriousness of the matter

"Everything's cool dad, don't stress about it."

And yet again his thoughts went back to Nessie. The project they have to do together and the things that she knew about. Thinking of her changed him, why was he so angry all of the time? He grabbed his plate of food and headed to his room. He needed to stop thinking about her, or at least work out why she made him feel this way.

It was the same dream; again, he was running up that godforsaken hill, trying to gain speed and distance. The trees clawed and slapped at his burning skin. so tired, he was so tired, but the anger was like nothing he had ever felt before, scorching through his muscles and pushing at the back of his eyes. She had picked him, and she had smiled.

Jake woke suddenly to the sound of the telephone ringing through the house. His dad was probably out back or maybe Charlie had picked him up for fishing. What day was it…Friday?

Jacob fell out of bed in a tangle of sheets in an attempt to get the phone.

"Hello?" his voice was thick with sleep

"Good morning Mr. Black. This is Madeline from head office; I was just calling to remind you that you are on a warning, and therefore, should make attending all lessons a priority. Do you have a good reason as to why you are not in your first lesson?"

"SHIT!"

"Apparently not then Mr. Black. Should I inform your teacher that you are running late and will join the class shortly?"

"BYE MADDIE!" Jake slammed down the phone and raced to the bathroom. Great, another fucked up morning.

By the time he made it to school, first lesson was almost over, so he sat at the back of the class and attempted to take notes. But the only thing to appear on the paper was a smile, an exact copy of the one _she _had given him when he told her he loved her. That smile, so intoxicating and mesmerizing, but also haunting and terrifying too. There was something he couldn't quite work out though, as he could have sworn that smile had become more attractive lately.

At lunch he went to the parking lot, hoping to have some privacy and a calming cigarette when he noticed the glint of copper in the corner of his eye.

Standing by a silver Volvo was the infamous Edward Cullen, and next to him was Nessie. They were talking, innocently it seemed, but he knew better than to trust that smug son of a bitch.

He should have guessed Nessie would find a way of sneaking herself into his claws, I mean, who could resist Charming Edward Cullen? He grazed the lighter but the sparks wouldn't ignite. Frustrated he threw the piece of crap on the floor and shoved the pack back in his jacket pocket.

Nessie must have heard him as she turned and looked at him, no real expression on her face, just looking. Edward tapped her shoulder and together they walked back inside.

Jake was furious. She claimed to know his problems yet she fraternizes with the enemy! And to think he had planned on being nice to her, laying off the newbie. Well, the stupid bitch would get what was coming to her.

It had definitely been a strange morning for Nessie, and she was slightly looking forward to a relaxing English lesson. But when she saw Jacob enter the room her heart seemed to freeze, he was tense, she could tell by the way his shoulders were set and his stride was heavy and harsh against the weak wooden floor. She tried to catch his gaze but he didn't notice her.

Towards the end of the lesson a piece of paper was handed to her from the guy next to her, he smiled sweetly, but when she unfolded the note she recognized the handwriting;

Your house tomorrow

11:00 am

Jake

Nessie looked up to see his glaring at his tabletop; he could practically burn holes through it with the intensity of his gaze. She noticed yer again that it wasn't a question, so sent a scribbled reply of conformation;

Yes sure, but you don't have my address.

He seemed to smirk at her reply, than write something else and pass it to the messenger;

You're the new kid; everyone knows where you live…

Right of course, she forgot how small Forks actually was. But she was still confused by his strange mood;

Hey are you ok? It seems like something is bothering you…

Finally he looked up at her, and the hostility in his eyes made her shiver. What had she done now? He folded up the note paper and ripped it up. Then, as the final bell rang, he shoved the remains in his pocket and stormed out the classroom.

Nessie sat there frozen. This was insane! Every time she thought they were making progress he shoved it straight back at her. This had to be the craziest first week she had experienced, anywhere…

They ignored each other for the rest of the afternoon, when they passed in the hallway and caught sight of each other across the parking lot, they acted like strangers. Nessie didn't have a clue how to deal with him, but thought it was easier to leave him alone today, and hopefully he would be better tomorrow when they had to work together…

She watched as he mounded his black motorbike and revved the engine. Other students scattered and threw themselves out the way as Jake dropped the clutch and accelerated out of the lot and down the road.

Thank god she wasn't the only one who was wary of him.

He arrived exactly at eleven, wearing his heavy black boots, dark wash jeans and a tight grey t-shirt. He dropped his rucksack by the door and toed of his boots. Despite his attitude towards Nessie, he was rather respectful to the rest of her house, and when her dad introduced himself, he was polite and friendly.

They started talking about Jakes bike, so nessie went into the kitchen and poured glasses of water and cleared the table ready for study. She heard her dad shout goodbye and the door opened and closed.

The house was now silent, and Jake came towards the table to sit in the spare seat furthest from Nessie. This was going to be awkward.

"So where do you want to start?" she said, in a surprisingly small voice, it seemed all the time she had spent building up her courage this morning had been wasted in that single line.

"The beginning seems like the best option" he drawled, taking a sip from the glass in front of him.

Nessie sighed 'hello sarcasm' she thought, pulling all her notes from her bag and laying them on the table.

"I think we should look at the use of conceits and metaphors. That's where the major points are, and his poetry is all metaphysical."

Jacob shrugged and picked up one of her sheets of paper, apparently scanning it for criticisms.

They fell into silence, with the unspoken understanding that Nessie would look at conceits and Jacob would look on her laptop for background information on metaphysical poetry.

Around two hours later, Nessie began to feel cramp in her hands. She had written about ten pages of analysis on conceits, and Jake hadn't spoken to her once.

"Can we take a break please, I'm starving, and all this writing is killing my hand."

Jake looked up and shrugged again. He hadn't been typing much, but every now and then there would be a couple of clicks.

Nessie went to the cupboard and pulled out some chips and chocolate bars. She moved past Jacob to get a bowl and saw the page up on the browser.

He was playing Tetris!

"Jake! What the hell? I have been working my ass off whilst you've been playing a stupid game!"

"Well it didn't look like you needed my help anyway" he mumbled.

"No Jake that is not the point! We are supposed to be doing paired work, not making one person do everything! I didn't say you could come over and just slack off!"

"Oh well I'm sorry for not being helpful! I must have misunderstood what it meant when I said I would work with you!" he shouted, slamming his hands down on the table so the glasses of water shook.

"Be careful!" shouted nessie, reaching for the glasses of water and moving them to the kitchen counter.

"I'm not the one making a huge mistake!" he shouted back, moving away from the table to loom over Nessie.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" she said, confused.

"You and Cullen. Big mistake." And with that he tried to push past her.

"Oh no you don't!" she said, blocking his way out "what are you talking about…me and Cullen?"

"I'm talking about the little chat you had at lunch. Smiling, laughing, probably fucking him with your eyes-

"NO! Oh my god Jacob why the hell would you think that?"

"You can't go being friends with him and trying to be nice to me, it isn't going to work!"

"You are so thick sometimes! Jake I was not eye fucking him; we were talking, because he knows a friend of mine"

"Who?"

"That's none of your business! If you want to go round accusing me of shit, then I don't need to tell you anything!"

Jacob was taken aback. He honestly thought she had been trying to get with Cullen, but the look on her face told him otherwise. She was angry, and her bright green eyes were alight with emotion.

"I'm so-

"No save it! Say it to someone who wants to deal with your shit" she moved away from Jake and went to put the food back.

"Hey I was about to apologize!" he said, turning to watch her move around the kitchen.

"God I am sick and tired of your changing attitude! One minute your angry and rude, the next your seemingly polite and then you get all angry again! Sort it out Jacob, because I'm sick of it."

Nessie left the room, hoping he would take initiative and leave, but as she climbed the stairs she heard him behind her. She didn't stop, but she could feel him following her as she went to her room and stood by the bay window.

"Look, Nessie, I'm sorry." His voice was low, and soft. He really did sound like he meant it.

She felt him move into the room, his heat descending upon her, around her. He was right behind her now, breathing slowly, carefully.

She turned to face him, her eyes searching his for something she recognized, but this was all new; the apology, the sincerity and the seeming desperation for her to accept it.

"I know" she whispered, taking a seat by the window and looking up at him, waiting for him to join.

He was cautious, and slowly he sat next her, quite close. His large frame perched on the edge of the window seat, seemed huge next to her.

"Tell me about it" she whispered, hoping he could let her in, let her help.

He tensed slightly, holding his breath, and then slowly, he exhaled and began to talk

"She called me her Sunshine, strange I know, but she said I was always warm, like rays of summertime. I helped her recover from the cold. But that seems to be all I was good at; making her forget winter, warming her up in preparation for the next big freeze.

She loved winter more than summer. We used to sit in the snow like angels and catch snowflakes on our tongues.

She thought it was the most beautiful time of year, winter, and she wished its beauty would last all year round. It was just the temperature she didn't like.

I once asked her what she would do if winter was hot. She told me it wasn't possible, and that it would be the most unnatural thing in the world. Then I told her to pick, and at first, she said she couldn't, then after a while she said if she had to, then she would pick summer, because of the hot sunshine…Looks like she was wrong about that one."

Jacob balled his fists and Nessie fought the urge to hold his hands. He was so tense; with anger and confusion falling off him in waves.

Nessie stayed quiet, and waited for him to continue, she knew he had more to say…

"She never realized the effect she had on people, on me. I think she knew she was beautiful, Edward made sure to tell her every time they made eye contact. But now, thinking about it, I don't think she ever appreciated her beauty, at least not the way other did. When she realized she had two guys after her, she picked up her game and played to her advantage. It makes me sick to think how I acted under her influence. The things I would say and do for her affection, the humiliation I endured, it was all worthless."

"No it wasn't, you learnt from it"

"Learnt what? That you can't trust beauty? Or that deception can be found in the most unexpected places, including your friends."

Nessie paused. She couldn't argue against his pain, it was deep rooted and long endured. She turned so her whole body was facing him, and her knees pushed against his thighs.

The sun had been pushed behind heavy clouds, which swept shadows across the room and shrouded the pair in temporary darkness.

"Your right, deception can be deadly. But that just means you have to search harder for the truth in people."

She saw his shadow move, and realized he was facing her, so close in the darkness that his voice tickled her skin.

"How do you know that I'm not deceiving you? Can you even trust that what I'm saying is true?"

"I trust you Jacob. You have no reason to lie to me" Nessie could feel his legs shift and the tension slowly dissipated from his tight muscles.

The air had changed, and the two sat in content silence as the shadows moved, letting the light reveal them and their differences. They looked at each other, slowly, letting the realization of what had just happened between them take effect. Then Jacob smiled something genuine and new gracing his features. Nessie returned the smile, feeling comfort and happiness wash over her.

"Thank you" he said, low and genuine.

"Well, what are friends for?"

"Hey, I was thinking, do ya, well, maybe you would like to join me and my friends at the beach tomorrow night? There is this little party going on, maybe you would like to go?"

They were walking down the front path to his bike, after what felt like hours of talking in her room. Nessie was glad they had the talk, as she now felt comfortable. Not just with Jacob, but in Forks, she finally had a reason to like the place.

"Wait, tomorrow is Sunday" she stated, not wanting to turn him down, but thinking what her dad would say to going out on a Sunday night.

"Yes…" he didn't seem too bothered by this fact

"So…it's the end of the weekend, we have school the next day"

Jacob grinned at her, something slightly dangerous glinting in his eye.

"Come on Ness' live a little!"

They were by the bike now, and Nessie felt intimidated just standing next to it.

"I'll think about it" she said, hoping that would be enough to keep him in a good mood.

"Sweet, I'll pick you up at about six?" he smiled again, before attaching his helmet and gloves.

With all the biker gear on he looked even more threatening, covered in black leather, with the tinted visor of his helmet reflecting the dim light of the setting sun.

Suddenly the black metal beast was purring, and Nessie watched as Jacob maneuvered off the drive and then tore down the road out of sight.

Nessie was doomed. She didn't really 'do' parties. As in, she cared far too much about her liver to ever get really drunk, and the thought of dancing made her stomach flip. It would be like watching a penguin try to waltz.

She spent the rest of the evening panicking about the party, and she hadn't even told her dad! When she did he didn't have the reaction she planned…

"I think that's a great idea Ness!" he shouted from the lounge, as Nessie tried not to burn the dinner.

"Since when have you been ok with going out on a Sunday night?" she replied, trying to sound nonchalant

"Well usually I would say no, but this looks like a good opportunity to meet new people. Go on Ness, it will be fun!"

Hmmm fun, she wasn't sure her dad knew the meaning of the word, or at least what it meant for a 17 year old teenager.

"Just stay away from the drugs and drink and you'll be fine"

Ok so maybe she was wrong…

He pulled up in a black truck. The paint was chipped and the sides coated in mud, but when Jake stepped out he looked immaculate.

A fresh royal blue t-shirt stretched over his chest, and dark wash jeans sat low on his hips. It was casual, as usual, but Nessie couldn't help the feeling that he had put a bit of effort into his choice of attire.

Nessie on the other hand, had spent the whole afternoon trying to find something to wear. Her bedroom currently resembled an atomic explosion of mismatched clothes, which would probably take hours to reorganize. Nessie hoped it was worth it.

"hey, you look nice" Jake grinned, letting his eyes slide up and down her figure, giving Nessie chills all across her skin.

"Thanks, I just grabbed whatever I could find, I hope its ok?"

It had to be ok, as she didn't think she could spend another couple of hours trying to find something else…

"Don't worry about it, look, we better get going" he turned and strode back to the truck as Nessie ran to catch up, remembering her bag at the last minute.

…

The journey was quiet, but Nessie liked the silence, it was peaceful. The day had been warm, with a light breeze tickling the trees. The sky was patchy, with clouds stretching across the sunset, casting spots of shadow across the red sky. It was warm in the truck, with the black seats absorbing the fading light. A couple of times Nessie turned to see Jake glance at her, appreciatively, she hoped, and yet again she felt the tingle of something down her spine.

She leant back and tried to relax against the soft seating. She felt the soft denim of her skinny jeans tighten as she readjusted her legs, and the breeze from the open window swept across the loose ripples of her top. It was a forest green fitted shirt, three quarter at the arms and made of soft cotton. The neck was open, leaving Nessie feeling slightly exposed, especially as Jake kept shifting his eye line towards her.

It was over as soon as it started, and Nessie jumped down to feel soft sand and pebbles beneath her sneakers. It was beginning to get dark, and Nessie saw no sigh of a party down on the beach. She began to panic. Where was everyone?

Jake saw her look of panic and grinned.

"I didn't bring you out here to hurt you Nessie. It's just a 5 minute walk across the beach, near the caves" and without another word he began to walk across the edge of the parking lot, towards the beach.

Nessie ran after him and they walked in silence again as he lead her towards the beach and the gentle waves of the sea. They walked across the shoreline for a couple of minutes, following it round to a group of caves. There Nessie saw the flicker of light and began to hear the music.

"Here we are" said Jake, resting a warm hand lightly on Nessie's shoulder as he lead her towards the cave.

Now she could see them, dancing in the shadow and growing darkness, some around the fires and others sitting on the logs. Dozens of bodies were dancing, singing, drinking without a care in the world.

She felt more relaxed when she recognized some of the girls dancing from her Lit class, and one of the guys shed spoken to on the first day waved her over. Nessie turned to see if Jake was still there, but found he had wandered off to his friends sitting by the fire. Her heart dropped slightly at the thought of his abandoning her for the night, but before she could hide in self pity she felt herself pulled into a group of bodies, swaying and jumping, turning and writhing.

They danced for what felt like ages as the heat of the fire spread over the soft dry sand and climbed up their legs and across their bare skin. The beat of the music vibrated beneath them, relentless against their dancing feet.

For the first time in a while, Nessie felt young and free, with nothing tying her down. Any burden she usually carried had been dropped in the fire and she felt confident and happiness with every sway of her hips and every move of her legs.

She was blissfully unaware of the onyx eyes watching her from the firelight. He was mesmerized, and whether that was due to the drink or something else he wasn't sure. Right now he couldn't stop watching her. The chatter from his friends was incoherent against the sultry swing of her hips that fell in time with her fiery hair that swung across her shoulders and slid down her back.

He felt it again, the sense that he had seen this before, like a black and white memory that had been colored differently. Another swig of his drink burned reality back into his senses; he wouldn't drink anymore, he had to drive Nessie home for goodness sake!

They still had an hour or two until he had to take her home, and hopefully the buzz he was experiencing would have dulled by then. Right now he could take this new found courage he felt and put it to some use.

Nessie saw Jake pull himself up from the fireside and walk towards her. She froze, but he didn't stop moving, closer and closer until he was right in front of her, looming over her small frame.

There were no words spoken as he continued to stare at her, letting the lazy beat of the drums pull them closer. Now they were very close, and Nessie found herself turning so her back was to him, allowing his hands to slip round her waist and shift to her hips. There they held her, warm and strong and the music pulled them back into its grip. He was warm against her, the muscles of his chest tensing against her back and shoulders. Gracefully she slipped her hands over his forearms and down until they rested over his.

The muscles in his arms tensed, but Nessie felt relaxed as their bodies continued to move in time against each other. She was surprised that their height difference didn't make dancing difficult, but he seemed to have an understanding of how her smaller frame worked against his.

"Thank you for coming tonight" he whispered, hot and low against her ear

"Well thank you for inviting me" Nessie squeaked back, unable to control the shivers his voice sent down her spine.

They continued to dance, but as it got more intimate he pulled her closer, letting her feel him, all of him, and she returned the contact with gentle ease, letting his hands roam higher and lower against her body.

Then he turned her, so she was facing him, her face to his chest, her hands roaming his hard planes as he found her hips and kept the rhythm. It was hotter now and even as the fire grew dim a different heat burned through Nessie as she rolled her hips and slid her hands across Jake's chest.

Then, in an instant the feeling was gone.

"Mmmmm Bella…" Jake sighed

In a split second Nessie went cold. She tensed and pushed away from his body falling out of the rhythm.

Jake stared at her, wide eyed in shock. It was an accident, he wasn't thinking straight!

"Nessie, hey, I'm sorry, I didn't mean-

"No Jacob, Don't."

She turned away from him and pushed through the crowds of oblivious dancers until she felt the cool chill of darkness surround her. Leaning against the Cold cave wall Nessie felt ashamed. Embarrassment flooded her as the last speck of fire in her body extinguished.

Of course he had been thinking of Bella. The boy had been madly in love with her and she couldn't just expect those feelings to be switched off. But it didn't stop her wishing that for one moment he could have had feelings for her.

The sound of footsteps was muffled by the sand but Nessie heard Seth approaching. He came up close and, without hesitation, pulled her into a warm hug.

"It's ok Nessie. He didn't mean it. He's a bit drunk, but he never meant to hurt you."

She could feel the tears threatening to fall.

"Just take me home Seth, please. I don't want to be here anymore."

He pulled back and smiled softly at her, then, when they checked she had everything, they set off across the dark beach to his truck. When she got home Nessie was restless and struggled to sleep. It was ridiculous really, she knew it wasn't Jake fault, but she felt somehow that her past was coming back to haunt her.

**Another note, I know the text is all squished together, I don't know how to change it, I've tried making bigger spaces but it doesn't work…any advice?**

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter I will update ASAP**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for waiting for this chapter, I have had a lot going on but I hope this makes up for lost time xx**

**Oh and not forgetting, I own nothing, except the plot…and Nessie's Dad ;) **

The following week dragged by slowly with Nessie avoiding Jake at all costs. She couldn't face him without feeling tears behind her eyes. It was ridiculous really, the way he had made her feel in only a few weeks. When they had talked in her room she had felt it, that connection, that understanding of attraction.

It had been too good to be true, becoming his friend, going to a party together. Now she had reverted back to the uncomfortable knowledge that they couldn't get along, and all the progress they had seemingly made was worthless.

Alice never pressed her about it, but the comforting smiles she gave made everything seem easier.

It was harder knowing that actually he had never really felt what she wanted him to feel, but despite this she had fallen for him, and hoped his affections could change. The past just wouldn't stay away, and every day she was confronted with memories she wished she never had. It wasn't all Jakes fault. He didn't know that there were more problems in Nessie's life than a lack of romance.

…

Great, now they were back at square one. She wasn't talking to him, and unlike before, it bothered him. He wasn't sure what had happened over the last few weeks but Nessie had left a lasting impression on him that he couldn't, and wouldn't shake. They would pass in the hallways and sit close in class but to the rest of the school they were simple acquaintances who had an aversion to talking to one another and avoided eye contact.

To those who knew them, and what had happened, they were merely avoiding the obvious. If Jacob wasn't looking at Nessie in English, then she was sneaking glances at him across the cafeteria during lunch.

He was confused

She was upset.

….

It got worse when Alice found out. She was sympathetic, and understanding of why Jacob was receiving the silent treatment, but somehow word got out to her brother, and then Bella.

She sat there, on the other side of the cafeteria, watching Nessie with wary eyes. At first Nessie didn't notice, but she could sense another pair of eyes following her. Nessie turned to face the cold stare, holding her breath as a shiver of ice trickled down her neck, her arms, freezing her body in its place.

Who knew such warm chocolate eyes could evoke such deadly fear?

The ice queen smiled a cold, almost dead smile that oozed control and knowledge. Her stare didn't waver; the smile didn't fade even as she rose from her seat and made her way across the room, past Nessie, and past Jacob, until the sharp echo of her boots was all that could be heard from the corridor.

There was something about that girl that scared Nessie.

Without realizing what she was doing, Nessie felt her legs move and her body rise out of her seat, ignoring Alice and her question as she grabbed her bag and walked out of the cafeteria, following Bella…

As if she knew what was happening, Bella turned in a graceful spin to face Nessie down the corridor. Her left hand fell softly on her hip, with the other hand twisting a lock of her long auburn hair. Her eyes were confident as she registered Nessie with a look of distaste.

Nessie felt herself bristle against the predator in front of her. She had never wanted to be further away from another human being, but the urge to confront this bitch was overwhelming.

"I see you've made your mark already…I never took you for the type to kick a puppy..." she drawled, a slow, ugly smile spreading across her face.

"What are you talking about? I didn't realize I had done anything wrong" Nessie tried hard to keep her voice in check, not letting herself get upset by the remarks of someone she barely cared to know.

"Jake. I heard what you did to him at the beach party. Dropping him when he had just picked himself up, is that really how you treat people who are trying to care?"

"You've got it wrong, I didn't leave him and it's certainly not for the reason you think. In fact, this is none of your business, so why don't you just leave us alone."

"Actually I think you will find that anything to do with Jake is my Business, after all, we were best friends"

"That being a past tense" sneered Nessie, as she struggled to fight the urge to throw something at Bella

Bella continued to smile as she neared Nessie, taking slow deliberate steps until they were less than a meter apart. She was slightly taller than Nessie, but this didn't seem to register as her vision suddenly became red with anger and pent up hatred.

"Get away from me, in fact, leave me and Jake alone. You don't know anything about the two of us, and even if you did, it's none of your business. I think you've caused enough trouble so just go back to your boyfriend and leave me the hell alone!"

With that Nessie stalked past her down the corridor, but before she could completely escape Bella had one last message, "You know he will never feel the way you want him to, well not about you anyway. Some people can never let go of the past…"

When Nessie got home the sky had become heavy and grey with rainclouds, holding out for the right moment to cry.

Her Dad was waiting for her, sitting in his favorite chair reading. His face was calm, relaxed, with his soft eyes scanning the pages gracefully whilst his crazy mop of hair repeatedly fell into his line of sight. He looked younger than he was, and happier. The move always did this, brought out the best of him until time caught up and revealed the never ending feeling of loss that he covered so well. Sometimes Nessie would catch him crying, never sobbing or wailing but silently remembering. It made her feel weak, because if her own father couldn't keep the tears at bay then how was she supposed to?

"Hey Dad" the words felt choked in her throat

Without speaking he turned and smiled at her, the fake smile she was so used to on days like this.

"Hey Ness, you feeling better today?"

It had been a couple of days since the Bella incident, and Nessie had come home close to

tears. When Her Dad had asked what was wrong she had shrugged it off as a bad day. She couldn't make him worry more than he already did at this time.

It was 10 years today since the death of her mother. The 28th March. It always rained.

"Not really, but I don't think I ever will"

Her dad got up and walked over to his shaking daughter, dropping his book and forgetting the smile, he drew Nessie into a warm embrace as the tears began to fall and the heavens opened.

They stood together, embracing the memories and shedding the pain. Neither moved as the sky grew darker and the rain continued to pound the streets outside. They were allowed to be oblivious, to the phone ringing and the storm rattling the windows, this was their moment.

A tall figure loomed outside on the road, shaking from the cold rain and breathing heavily from his exertion. Even from that distance he could see the two people embracing through the kitchen window, and he could see the sadness engraved into their faces. Jake stood there for what felt like hours, watching her cry, and wishing he could help. For the first time in what felt like forever, Jake wanted to help someone else.

Soon enough he was soaked to the bone, and as Jake turned to leave he felt a pair of eyes follow him. He didn't turn back, but ran home as fast as he could, his determination driving him on through the wind and the rain, and the never-ending storm.

Nessie had made up her mind, she was going to work hard to finish high school and then she would get away, far away from all of this. All the drama, and the memories, all the longing and the hatred would be left behind.

It was four days after the anniversary of her mother's death, and Nessie found that this new plan for life was working well. If she wasn't at school working she was at home working, and when Alice had called to see if she wanted to go out that weekend she had made a firm decision in her mind to decline, severing connections now would make it easier.

This carried on for the rest of the week. The beginning of April brought around a fresh feeling in the air, with the sun making more appearances through the wall of cloud that was a constant in Forks.

When Ness arrived home on Friday after a rather difficult day of avoiding Alice and Jake at the same time, she was greeted by her Father, standing with his arms crossed in the kitchen, and, sitting next to him was Alice. She smiled softly as he legs swung lightly from the edge of the counter where she was perched.

"Hi guys" said Nessie, preparing herself for the grilling she was sure to get from her father. Her dad only ever got this look when he was annoyed or determined. In this case, and with the presence of Alice, she could guess what he wanted to talk about.

"Ness. Alice and I have something to talk to you about"

For a second Nessie could only picture them as two disappointed parents.

"I have noticed how withdrawn you have become, from me and your friends. It seems only the other day you were off to a party with a guy, and now you barely leave your room. I'm worried…What's going on?"

The stone in Nessies chest dropped; she could hardly go ahead and tell him the real reason why she was acting differently. _Sorry dad, I have decided to keep to myself recently due to the fact that the guy I like is not interested in me, but in fact has an interesting past with a girl I hate which coincided nicely with the fact that mum is gone and you are getting worse at covering up how lonely you are. _"I'm fine guys, really."

Alice and her dad shared a look. It was quite creepy really as she hadn't exactly introduced them but they were already getting on far too well.

"Well we don't think so" said her dad "you need to get out more, it will be good for you"

"I thought maybe you could come to this party tonight?" chimed in Alice "it's at this girl Jessica's house. We don't have to be there for long but I bet you'll enjoy it."

Oh great, now she couldn't say no.

"I suppose it couldn't be that bad" she forced a weak smile; this was not her idea for a goods Friday night.

"Great" her dad grinned, obviously feeling proud with his parenting skills.

"Yay! Let's go get ready!" squealed Alice, jumping off the counter and grabbing that was obviously filled with clothes to wear tonight.

Nessie sighed, was she really that easily persuaded?

Around half an hour later Nessie and Alice climbed into her small yellow car and waved bye to her dad.

"Bye Phil, have a nice evening!" Alice called out as she reversed off the drive onto the road.

"Phil?" Nessie asked "Since when have you two been on a first name basis? You only just met him!"

"Oh calm down Nessie, he's your dad, why wouldn't I call him by his name? It's hardly like a want to date him or anything, no need to panic" then after a pause "but he is kinda cute for a man in his forties…"

"ALICE!"

"So which shirt, red or blue? I'm thinking red but you're usually better with these things…Jake? Which shirt?"

Seth was standing in front of a long mirror situated behind jakes door. It was barely used and so the gathered dust distorted Seth's view of himself. He didn't think he looked too bad; dark jeans sat low on his hips and just brushed the floor around his sneakers. He was still growing, and jeans were always too short for him. Unlike Jake, he didn't fill out his shirts that well so had to resort to tucking them in to his trousers, not always the best look in his personal opinion, but it was the only way to stop himself looking like a twig next to Jake. That and he should eat more protein…

Jake lay on his back, eyes to the ceiling. This was not his idea of a good Friday night; going to some ridiculous party with a load of people he didn't even like. The original plan had been 'the pack' going to the beach for a bonfire, but no, Seth had asked him with sheer desperation in his puppy dog eyes to join him in this ridiculous charade for the night. With any luck it would be so crowded he could lose Seth and make his way home.

"Jake! Red or blue?"

"Pink" was jakes weak reply. He wasn't bothered about what he wore, there was really no effort needed to impress the girls at his school anyway. He wore scruffy black jeans and a rather snug fitting grey t-shirt. His black and red leather jacket was slung over the end of his bed, and that in total made his outfit.

Taking a quick glance at his watch he noticed the time, not that he was entirely bothered, but in order to keep Seth happy they should really be leaving soon.

"Come on pretty lady, let's get going, you wouldn't want to be more than fashionably late."

Seth finished buttoning his red shirt and moved to thwack Jake around the head, but Jake ducked fast "careful Seth! Wouldn't want to break a nail"

Seth scowled

"And" he added "I spent ages doing my hair" with a wink Jake slipped out of the room and ran to the truck, avoiding Seth's attempt to beat him down in the process.

Nessie felt awkward. She was not in the mood for tonight, but the need to please Alice and her dad seemed to trump her personal feelings. However she was quite proud of the outfit Alice had suggested. It had seemed like forever as Alice rummaged through her draws in an effort to find her something suitable to wear, and when it seemed she had given up hope, she stumbled (literally) across a bag that fell out of the wardrobe.

In there she found a number of summery outfits and clothes that in her opinion should not be left stuffed in a bag.

The chosen outfit was a cute turquoise playsuit, short and strappy, with a sweetheart neckline. It was quite casual, but paired with heels and a black jacket it gave the impression she was off for a good night out. The weather was beginning to heat up slightly and the party would be inside, so Nessie wasn't too bothered about having her legs out, and the jacket would keep her warm anyway.

Alice did her makeup, simple using mascara, eyeliner and a dash of foundation to bring out her emerald orbs whilst covering the faint shadow under her eyes. Nessie insisted they leave her hair alone, the wind had been crazy and it would only cause problems to take it out of the messy ponytail she had wrestled it into.

Alice on the other hand looked far more used to dressing for parties, with her hair flicky and pixie-like, she wore skinny black jeans, high black heels and a gold sparkly halter top with a cropped black jacket. Her eyes were Smokey and framed by thick dark lashes, making the blue of her eyes sparkle. Now she felt even more awkward.

"Ok so I'm one for jumping in at the deep end," Alice said, bringing Nessie out of her daydream "How is Jake?"

"Jake?" Nessie felt like a tidal wave had hit her, why did they have to talk about him?

"Yer you know; tall, rugged, surprisingly handsome-not that I'd tell him that"

"Umm, I don't know. You do remember that we aren't on speaking terms right?"

"Well of course I know, but that doesn't mean I haven't seen the boy try. For example; the tray situation."

"The tray situation?

"Yes, lunchtime, Tuesday, what was going on then?"

Nessie was slightly shocked by how observant Alice was. Not that she could forget, but Jake surprised her when he ambushed her at the food counter. _For the first time all year she had forgotten to pack a lunch, so had been forced to eat the disgusting cafeteria food. The choice of the day consisted of sausages in many forms and varieties. Nessie went for the safe option of a hotdog, and, once she had paid and found the bottles of ketchup, she prepared to drizzle a decent amount of the tomato goodness on her hotdog, when Jake appeared beside her._

"_Nessie, hey, can we talk?"_

_In her shocked state Nessie forgot she was holding a delicate bottle, and squeezed hard, causing an eruption of ketchup all over her sausage. Jake didn't seem to notice, instead he carried on talking,_

"_Look I know you're upset by what happened at the beach but I promise you, I didn't mean to say her name. And anyway I thought we were beginning to be friends, let's not throw all that away."_

_Nessie ignored him, trying desperately to clean up the mess she had made-her hotdog was ruined._

"_Nessie? Did you hear me?"_

"_Yes I did Jake, and that's not the issue right now, the issue is that I got ketchup everywhere" she mumbled, not realizing what she was saying out loud. _

"_Sorry?" Jake seemed surprised. He was being serious, was she messing with him?_

_But nessie had already forgotten about the conversation, and in a last ditch effort to save her lunch, she grabbed the hotdog and sucked on the end of it, trying to remove the excess ketchup._

_Jake froze. Was she..? Oh god. She was. His pupils dilated as he watched with intense eyes as _

_Nessie unconsciously sucked on her hotdog in the most sensual manner. He felt his heart begin to race as her tongue poked out to catch the drops of ketchup that slipped past her lips. Everything seemed to slow down as he watched her, and suddenly it stopped. _

_Nessie took a huge bite of the hotdog, and, grabbing some napkins and her bag; she turned away from Jake and made her way over to Alice, who had apparently seen the whole thing._

"Now I know why you pack your own lunch" Alice smiled, as Nessie realized exactly what the situation had looked like. Her stomach dropped. Great, now she would be seen as a cock tease, when all she really wanted was to enjoy her lunch!

The drive was quiet for Seth and Jake; they were the kind of friends that didn't need to talk constantly to feel comfortable. But Jake did have a gnawing feeling to ask Seth something that had been bothering him.

"So, I saw you talking to Ness on Thursday…what was that about…?"

"Oh yer, well she got her locker stuck again, is went to help. She's not that bad you know."

"I never said she was." Snapped Jake, all of a sudden feeling every protective over Nessie.

"So you just helped her with her locker?" there was something missing…

"Yer and, well I asked if she was coming out tonight, but she didn't really answer…am guessing not. She seemed quite upset really, I didn't really want to press any questions."

Relief filled Jake. He wasn't sure why but the idea of Seth getting close to Nessie seemed to annoy him.

The fact was that Jake couldn't stop thinking about her. He had missed talking to her anyway, but then when she pulled that stunt with the hotdog…now he wasn't sure how he felt about her. Something had come alive then, his heart had beat differently for the first time in months, and then urge to feel that same feeling again was almost too good to

refuse. However this was made difficult by the fact that he couldn't even utter two words without her shutting him out.

"I have a good feeling about tonight"

Jake gave a quick glance at Seth who was smiling with excitement.

"Really? And what makes you say this dumb party is going to be better than any other we've been to?"

"I don't know, this just feels different."

As Jake pulled up to the great white house in Forks, he cringed at the sight of all the people. Seth was wrong, tonight would not be good…especially since the car he was parked next to was a silver Volvo.

Jacobs's heart dropped, and he had a good mind to turn around and leave right away. They jumped out the truck, and that's when he saw her, standing with _him_. She seemed to sense him watching her, and turned to face him. That cold smile, those dead eyes, but she still looked as beautiful as ever.

Seth seemed to notice where his gaze was and took an audible gulp.

"Hey Jake, you know what I said about having a good feeling..."

"Yes Seth…"

"Well, it's gone."


	4. Chapter 4

"So who do you like more, Seth or Jacob?"

"What?" the question was completely out of the blue and Nessie couldn't recall any indication that she had mentioned having feelings for Seth.

"Well I think Seth is quite cute, but that's my own opinion. Have you ever thought the nice guy would be better than the bad boy?"

"Look Alice, there is nothing going on between any of us. All I wanted was to be friends with Jacob, but that is obviously impossible" she ended in a whisper, knowing that deep down, she had never wanted just friendship.

"Whatever you say" said Alice, ignoring the obvious lie Nessie fed her "just…be careful Nessie…With your heart."

By this time they had arrived, and Nessie was quick to jump out of the car, away from the awkward conversation.

'_I can tell its fragile'_ Alice thought, getting out the car with her and joining Nessie on the grass bank where she stood and took in the overwhelming sight that was Jessica Stanley's home.

It didn't faze Alice; the house was similar in style and size to the Cullen mansion she lived in. For Nessie it unearthed an overwhelming sense of fear. She was surrounded by people of a higher social and economic class to her, and this itself made her feel like even more of an outsider in this strange town.

It was large and Victorian in style, three stories high, with long thin windows that burned with gold and blue light. The large draperies had been pulled back to reveal the expansive rooms inside. Practically the whole school was here, dancing, drinking, and partying hard. The great oak doors at the front of the house were thrown open to welcome the hoards of guests. Garden lights illuminated the path that wound to the house, similar to a fairytale. There were even lights hanging from the sharp corners and points of the dark roof, which rose up at terrifying angles, giving the illusion of towers and turrets joined to the house. The gray stone of the walls dampened the heavy bass beat that pumped through the floor and was amplified through the open windows.

"Do you want to go in?" Alice nudged, sensing that Nessie was preparing to retreat back into her shell.

Nessie gulped, and with a shaky breath, she stepped towards the path that led down the verge to the even path leading up to the house.

From the parking spaces they were level between the first and second floor, making the house seem sunken to the ground, like it was trying to hide and failed miserably.

"Let's just do this" sighed Nessie, walking in time with Alice down the path that led to their fate.

They had been here 20 minutes and Jake was already close to tearing his eyes out. He could feel Bella's gaze on him as he tried to maintain conversation with Seth and some of the other guys from the Pack.

"Dude, she's doing it again" whispered Seth, indicating Bella with a short nod in her direction. Jakes hands turned to fists in his jacket pockets as he tried to cover up the tension that was evident throughout his body. He wasn't sure he could take much more of this, all the staring and smiling. What was she trying to achieve?

He noticed that Cullen was absent, probably off with Jasper and Emmet. The further he was from them the better.

From his position in one of the 'main rooms', he had a clear view of the exiting door and anyone who passed that area. At that precise moment he could see Bella and her friends lounging casually on the remaining furniture that hadn't been moved to the edge of the room or removed all together.

"She looks hot" piped up Jared, whose caramel gaze was tracking every female in the room. "You agree Jake?"

It was stupid to ask, of course she did, but he knew Jared was trying to wind him up. Luckily it wasn't working, as Jake had other things on his mind. However he couldn't avoid letting his eyes roam her figure; the black lace and silk dress hit well above the knee, gliding gently up and down as she moved her legs. It hugged her close, greedily, giving way to her petite frame and soft curves. The contrast to her skin made her even more stunning to look at, like she was glowing. Her long, mahogany hair swept down her back in a curling waterfall. Jacob remembered a time when he had wrapped that hair round his fist as she kissed him in the back of his truck. His palms became sweaty inside his jacket. The dress was a halter neck, with the cut falling low down her chest in a sharp V that revealed only a sliver of skin between her breasts.

'_Classy_' he thought, taking it all in '_sexy, but with something to hide…just like Bella'_

She caught his eye across the room and winked. She rose from the chair slowly, letting him take her all in. He'd always admired her long sleek legs, especially the way they had wrapped around his waist when they…

But then he noticed her ridiculous heels, because Bells had never been that tall. The black boots were cut off at the ankle, with a thick platform for the ball of her foot, the heel was thin but sharp, a perfect choice of weapon for breaking hearts.

He was jolted back to reality when Bella turned with a sharp snap towards the window. Her friend whispered something in her ear, and she was gone, slinking out the room like a panther.

The whole party thing wasn't so bad when she really thought about it. She only recognized a handful of faces but that was how Nessie liked it. When she was alone in a crowd she felt safe, because then she didn't have to remember who she really was, and all the worries and anxieties she had were swept away with the music. The gyrating bodies that surrounded her brought back flashes of the night at the beach, and Nessie felt a surge of panic rise in her stomach at the thought of seeing Jacob again. She turned to look for Alice, but then remembered that she had gone to get them drinks, and was probably lost in the great swarm of people that inhabited the enormous room.

She was about to go in search of her small friend when she felt a cold hand on her shoulder. Turning slowly she was met with the deadly eyes of Bella Swan.

Nessie tensed, letting the cold of Bella's touch seep through her skin and spread across her body. Now that she was no longer alone, the feelings of anxiety and worry resurfaced, causing her heart to race unnaturally.

"Here all alone are we Ness?" she drawled, barely audible over the load music "why don't we have a chat?" and with that she turned, striding through the crowd with surprising grace.

Nessie felt compelled to follow, and without thought she joined Bella through the sea of people until they were both outside in what she guessed was the back garden, if that's what you called hundreds of acres of land…

The air was crisp and Nessie pulled her jacket tight around her, shielding herself from the night air. The whole garden was dark, except for the party lights around the door and the shadows of yellow that flooded through the glass windows and doors out onto the stone area that Nessie and Bella stood in.

"You look nice tonight. Shame it's all for nothing isn't it." Bella smirked, turning away from Nessie to gaze out at the stars.

"What do you mean?" Nessie's voice was small as her body grew cold.

"Jacob won't notice you. Not now, not ever, so why don't you just give up and go home."

"I'm not doing this for Jacob" Nessie spat, feeling the anger rise in her throat

"Oh really, I thought this was all a stunt to help mend your broken friendship. You claim I know nothing about the two of you, yet it seems to me that its quite clear that your attempt at friendship is over and that you're pining over someone that doesn't want you."

"Look, I don't know what you think is going on, but I'm not trying to get in Jakes pants. He needed a friend, so I was there for him, now I've realized he doesn't so I'm leaving him alone, is that clear enough for you?"

Of course what she left out was the part where he had twisted her heart without knowing, and now Nessie didn't know if she could be friends with a guy who pined after the person she hated most.

But his persistence at achieving forgiveness from her made her second guess _his _motive, and now she didn't know what she wanted or what she could have.

"It doesn't look to me like your leaving him alone"

"Why do you care?" shouted Nessie, already fed up with this conversation "you don't need him, you don't even want him. Yet when I get involved you decide I can't have anything to do with him!"

"Look Nessie, I'm just trying to help you out" she sneered "you're about to get yourself into business that doesn't concern you. You don't know the real Jake, you just know the side he let you see so he could win you over and make it seem like he's moved on. But I know better; Jacob will always need me, no matter who is in the picture, and I'm just trying to help you out before you get hurt."

"Stop lying! You don't want to help me, you just don't want anyone else to have him so you try and scare everyone else away. Well I'm not falling for it Bella so you can fuck off!"

Bella blanched, seemingly taken aback by the force of Nessie's anger. She took a step forward, so they stood a breathes width apart.

"Its none of your business Ness" she whispered, low and threatening "so like I said, I suggest you stay out of other people's problems. And whatever secrets you _think_ you know, would be better left behind locked lips…"

"You are an idiot if you think Jake will come running back to you" Nessie growled, her hands folding to fists by her side as she glared at Bella.

Bella was about to reply when Seth appeared in the doorway

"There you are Nessie! Alice said you were here, I thought I'd come and find you, seeing as you won't know many people here." He noticed Bella and shrank away, avoiding Bella's gaze as Nessie took her cue to go and left Bella standing in the garden, staring after her.

"Where is Seth?" shouted Jake, trying to be heard over the heavy music

"He said something about a small redhead" shouted Jared "then he went outside. Probably be back soon man."

Great, Jake only went to grab a soda and now Seth was on the lookout for Nessie. Was he trying to make his night worse? Right now the last thing he needed was to be struck down again by a girl who was half his height…

He spotted them across the room, laughing and smiling, with Seths arm draped over Nessie's shoulder. Suddenly the room seemed smaller, more claustrophobic than before and Jake gripped the can in his hand with more force.

She caught his eyes and he froze. She looked…good. Really good… Almost too good. Something in his chest tightened as he watched her move through the room towards him. He had never really noticed how good her legs were, and now he couldn't keep his eyes off them. The heels she wore accentuated the muscles in her legs and the curves they created.

He had always liked how small she was, like a bird she was soft and inviting and he had the strangest urge to protect her, from everything.

Too soon she was in front of him, being introduced to all his friends as he stayed silent, what was he supposed to say?

She seemed to be thinking the same thing, as Nessie waited with increasing fear, for Jake to say something to her. Anything. He was looking at her, that was a start, but he seemed conflicted, and the tight line of his jaw ticked with tension.

The rest of the group had fallen into a separate conversation, oblivious to the awkward couple amongst them.

"Hi" Said Nessie, unsure of how to proceed with the conversation.

"Hi" Jakes voice was soft and warm, like honey. The sweetness in his voice oozing through Nessie's body, and making her heart melt.

This boy would ruin her.

With this thought she realized her mistake. Jake had effectively dumped her as a friend, and a customary introduction had made her mushy and weak. She shouldn't be so easily won over. Where was her backbone? Just because he was really hot and had the tendency to whiplash her with his changing emotions didn't mean she could let him back in.

"So, how have you been?" Jake asked tentatively

"Good." The wall was back up, and this time it would take more than kind words to tear it back down.

"I uh, I called your house a couple of times, but your dad said you were busy. What have you been up to?" oh god this was pathetic. Jake never asked questions like this and now he was desperately treading water for some solid ground with this girl.

"I've just been busy with stuff."

Jake felt the slow heat of annoyance rise through his body.

And to add to the moment, Bella arrived in the room. He could feel her smirking at them, at him.

Jake had had enough, without notice he grabbed Nessie's arm and pulled her to the other side of the room, through the hot crowd of people into the hallway, and then into the shadowed doorway of a spare room. Nessie was too shocked to struggle, and being someone who hated attention she didn't shout out. They stood in shadow of the doorway, letting the cool air move between them, and the awkward realization that they were alone dawn on them.

"What was that for?" Hissed Nessie, with more emotion and feeling than he had seen from her in weeks "what's going on?"

"We need to sort this out Nessie. What have I done to make you like this?"

"Sorry?"

"All these one word answers and not accepting my apologies. I try to get through to you but you just shut me out."

"Jake can we just drop it please, it doesn't matter-"

"Yes it does Nessie! I don't get why we can't work things out!"

"I just don't have time for stuff like this now-"

"What stuff?" his anger was rising

"Talking to you! Like this."

Jake felt cold fall through his chest. She didn't have time for him? Not even to talk? Suddenly the feeling changed, ne needed the control again. There was no way that Nessie was getting the reins.

"So you can chat to MY friends but I don't even get a seconds notice? I thought you wanted to work to be friends?"

"No, I want to be your friend, but YOU just want a girl you can cry on because Bella won't have you! I won't be that girl Jake."

"Oh what, so the dancing at the beach wasn't an indication of your feelings?"

"It was a mistake; we got caught in the moment."

"This isn't what it's about is it…Bella spoke to you didn't she."

"That's none of your business-"

"I think it is-"

"No Jake! For once, when it comes to Bella, it is none of your business. And until you sort out your feelings I don't think we can work as friends."

Jake went quiet. His onyx eyes locked on Nessie. They were so close, hidden in the dark room, she could feel his breathe against her forehead, and the heat of his body seemed to be increasing in there enclosed space.

"Fine" he growled, keeping his gaze locked on Nessie. He could tell the pack were watching him, and so were some others but right now the only thing he could focus on was the way Nessie squirmed against the wall. She looked hot when she was angry, her hair falling round her face as it came loose from its hold. He wanted to untie it and run his hands through it, but he couldn't tell her that. "But just remember, the 'Pack' are loyal to me"

With that he slipped his hands from her shoulders to her waist and pulled her close. Nessie gasped, but Jake was in control as his right hand slipped down to hold her thigh and pull it up around his leg. Nessie grabbed his shoulders and dug her nails into the strong muscles.

"Jake" she hissed "let go!"

"Easy tiger…we don't want to give anyone the wrong impression" he grinned, still holding her gaze.

Nessie's heart raced as his hot hands pulled her closer and he ran his other hand down her spine, making her shiver. He was playing with her and she knew it, but there was a part of her that didn't want him to stop.

Jake leant in to her face, and for a moment she thought he was going to kiss her, but instead he glided his lips across her cheek and whispered in her ear "I believe you when you say we can't be friends…but you're lying if you say you didn't feel anything at the beach."

With that he let her go, pushing off the wall and turning away from Nessie, he stalked past the people dancing and his pack, a dirty smile playing on his lips…

**Thank you for the wait. I hope you like this chapter, although at the moment I'm trying to figure out where this is going as I'm worried you're all getting lost… x**


	5. Chapter 5

Was it possible to feel so many things all at once? To feel sad and happy, confused and clarified? Nessie sat in the kitchen, a pile of homework to keep her company. She had been staring at the same page in her English book for the past half an hour. Jake was a dick; A selfish, rude, annoyingly beautiful bastard, who had yet again caught her in a tailspin.

Nessie had spent the rest of her weekend mulling over the confrontation she had had with both Bella and Jake. With Bella it was simple, the girl was a bitch and the sooner she ignored her petty comments the better. But with Jake there was a part of her that wanted to hate him, and a part of her that wanted him more than anything else.

Her mind constantly wandered back to the beach party, his hands, her hips, and that racing pulse she had felt through both of them.

It was fear that stopped her. He said she was denying it, but really she was ashamed at her unrealistic feelings. He relied on her when Bella wasn't there, but the moment she turned her head he had dropped her like a bone. She couldn't let herself get close enough to become broken, not by him, not by anyone.

"Ness? Ness you in?"

There was a fumbling from the hallway as her dad removed his shoes and jacket to join her in the kitchen.

"Hi" Nessie sighed; there was no way this homework was getting done today.

Phil stood awkwardly in the kitchen door, like a scolded child. He shuffled over to the table and sat cautiously in the chair. Nessie looked up slowly, feeling the tension rolling towards her. It was unlike her dad to find situations awkward, or to struggle with words, and the look on his face made her feel increasingly nervous.

"Are you ok dad?" Nessie whispered

"I just think…that we need to talk Ness. I'm worried." His voice became a whisper, something was very wrong.

Nessie looked at him carefully, trying to read his eyes the way she usually could.

"Dad..?"

"I heard you last night Ness." He paused, taking a deep breath before continuing "the nightmares…they're getting worse, aren't they?"

Nessie went cold. She didn't want to talk about it right now. Not with all the other stuff going on, this was the one thing she was desperate to block out. Her dad kept staring, a look of desperation in his watery eyes. She knew it killed him to bring it up, to know she wasn't coping and that no matter how hard he tried he couldn't fix her. Slowly his hands slid across the cold tabletop and took hold of her delicate fingers, twisting them round his own.

"We can talk to someone if you want, to help keep them away? I hate to hear you at night, screaming into your pillow, knowing I can't help."

"Please dad, don't-"

"Is it being here? Is it because of school? I know you don't talk to her anymore Ness but maybe if you tried be-"

"Don't bring her into this! No dad, she couldn't help. I don't want her help, I'm fine."

The room went silent as Nessie tried to control her anger. She never snapped at her dad, ever. But this was not a talk she wanted to have, not with her father, or anyone else for that matter.

She found that the nightmares returned when she was stressed, usually before a move, or a big exam. Right now she was battling against less important fears, but they still had the same effect. Of course she couldn't tell her dad that the reason she was screaming and crying at night was because of a guy, and that the confusing relationship with this guy was making her constantly nervous. And she would never mention Bella.

"She would be proud you know." Phil's voice shook with emotion "your mum, she would be so proud of the young lady you've become"

And with that, he rose from the chair and left the room, too soon to see the silent tears roll down Nessie's cheeks.

She looked sad. The way her usually vibrant hair fell limp against her back, like a dying fire the heat was slipping away.

They had been sitting next to each other for the past 20 minutes as the substitute rattled on and on about their end of term paper; the importance of analysis and comparison. But Jake didn't care about what she had to say, he was more intent on the reason for Nessie's blank gaze and unusual tepidness. He thought that their encounter at the weekend would have changed things, but not like this!

"Ness, have you got the outline for poem two?" he whispered, hoping to get _something _out of her.

Silently she slid the piece of paper across the desk, without even looking at him.

"Umm, do you get the second stanza?" surely this should have some effect…

She tapped her delicate forefinger over the highlighted notes at the bottom of the page, without uttering a single word.

By now Jake was losing his temper. She had to speak to him at some point! He itched to touch her, reach his hands across the desk and hold her wrist, provoking the shiver that could bring her to life.

He hadn't meant to scare her that night, just lay down some rules, for her and his pack. By now he could admit to himself that he liked her more than he let on, but until she reciprocated he wouldn't take a step. But his outrageous flirting tactic shouldn't have scared her, if anything she would have fought back, scolding him for his behavior or jumping his bones!

She hadn't moved, still as a statue waiting for time to pass. The clock had never seemed so daunting.

"Nessie" he hissed "come on-"

"_Enough_ Jacob, Stop." Was her whispered reply, the sound so weak that Jake almost missed it. And she used his full name…something must be wrong.

Wasn't it supposed to be the other way round? Last time she checked he was the one holding back from her. She couldn't let herself open up; it had always been hard, but now it felt physically impossible. There was too much going on right now for her to comprehend one thing at a time. With her Dad's surprise attack at the weekend, Nessie had been caught off guard, and had finally realized that she couldn't hide it all forever.

Alice sat opposite Nessie in the canteen, the warm spring air lifting everyone's spirits…except Nessie's.

"Ok, I know what happened on Friday night was a surprise for us all, but it's Tuesday, and you're still acting like he hit you with a bus"

Nessie involuntarily flinched, the first real movement Alice had seen since they sat down. She was beginning to worry. This wasn't like Nessie, at all, and the feeling that something else was going on continued to grow as she watched her nibble at her lunch, her eyes watery, and her hands shaking slightly.

"Nessie? Hey, look at me…"

Alice reached over the table to touch her wrist. She was cold, shivering deep to the bone. Slowly Nessie looked up at Alice, her green eyes lost. It shocked her, to see such vulnerability in such beautiful eyes. Her grip tightened as she whispered

"What is it Ness? There is something else going on isn't there."

She didn't speak, a silent tear said it all, and with that, Alice pulled Nessie to her feet and walked with her out of the building.

There were few things that scared Jacob black, that including Alice Cullen. That all changed when she stomped towards him at the end of school. The pack had left, and as he turned to mount his bike, he caught sight of the raven haired pixie making a bee-line for him.

"Jacob, we need to talk"

The use of his full name only increased his sudden fear, but he waited silently for her to continue.

"Back off from Nessie. I don't care what you think she did to you, but she needs her space, so just, please, leave her alone."

"Sorry?"

"You heard me" her tone was stern, she meant what she said.

"Since when did this become any of your business?"

"Nessie made it my business"

"Oh really?" Jake snarled, his temper simmering "and why exactly would she do that?"

"Honestly Jake it's really not fair that you keep upsetting her anymore"

"No, what's not fair is how she can start ignoring me when I don't think I've done anything wrong."

"That's just it Jake, you don't think. And this time there is more to it than your feelings. Please Jake, just do as I ask and leave her alone."

With that she turned sharp on her heel and walked gracefully back to her car. Once she had left the parking lot, Jake threw on his jacket and helmet, revved the engine, dropped the clutch and sped after her. He passed the turning for the reservation, and followed the road till it led him to the next neighborhood of houses. He had run past her house enough to have in engrained in his memory, but this time Nessie would know he was there.

She heard him skid onto the driveway. Heard his heavy boots crunch up the path towards her door, and the heavy knock of his angry fists against the oak wood door.

Nessie froze. What had Alice done? She said she would take care of things with Jake but by the look of things she hadn't done a very good job. His heavy shadow filled the strips of smoked glass in the door, making him seem even more terrifying.

"Nessie, open up! I know you're in there!"

Silence, it seemed to be the only thing protecting her these days

"Don't do this Ness! We need to talk. Please open the door!" His voice was softer now, almost tired.

She got up from her place in the front room and went to the door, her heart beating crazily fast. She wasn't usually scared of Jake, but since her chat with Alice fear had become all consuming.

She flicked the lock and slowly pulled the door open. He looked magnificent in his anger; his hair damp on his head from the light afternoon rain, his chest heaving with pent up anger and eyes darker than an eclipse.

"Jake…"

"What's going on Ness? I don't know what to do anymore. You come into my life and just when I'm used to it you pull yourself away. Alice told me to stay away but I want to know why. It can't be because of the other night, unless you really found what I did offensive, but I know you, at least I think I do. You don't bottle it all up, not from me."

"You don't know me Jake, not really"

"Then let me"

"No"

"Why not! I've opened up to you, only for you to go all crazy and secretive! What's going on Ness? I thought we, well, we had something…"

There was a pause, both looking into each other's eyes, with so much emotion on display that was impossible to put into words.

"You can feel it, cant you?" Jake whispered, slowly stepping closer to Nessie "its right there, between us."

"Please don't Jake-"

"Don't what? Say what we are both thinking, feeling? I can't stand the way you do this! The way you deny everything important but take so much pain in the stupid stuff!"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm talking about what I've supposedly done wrong."

"You really don't see it do you?" Nessie spoke, anger on the tip of her tongue "why are you so oblivious!"

"Wha-"

"The only reason you're here trying to act like you care is because Bella isn't looking"

"This has nothing to do with be-"

"Yes it does! It has so much to do with her but you can't even admit it! There is a lot going on in my life now, and I don't need you and her to make things worse."

They stood silent, the rain getting louder and louder. Jake watched Nessie as she slipped back into her shell, the fire in her eyes dying with the light. He couldn't let it slip, not just yet, and in a single moment he had stepped closer to Nessie, pulled her into his grasp, and without thought he leaned down and kissed her, soft and slow. In her panic she grabbed his shirt, but the moment was over as soon as it began. Jake loosened his hold on her hips, and slowly stepped away from her. She looked shocked, her cheeks flushed and her eyes wide.

"I think you're the one who can't admit it…"

Raindrops caressed the cold glass in their slow descent of Edwards Bedroom window. He watched patiently as his sister paced back and forth across his eye line.

"I just don't know what to do Edward. I mean, she's my best friend, but I can't just ignore the fact that something is wrong. She said it was family stuff, and that she just wants my support, but I feel she's holding back, but not because she doesn't want me to know, but because she is afraid. I know it sounds crazy but, I can just feel it. You know?"

"I know Alice"

"And then there is Jacob Black, getting in the way, upsetting her all the time. I told him to back off today, but he got so angry, I'm afraid he's going to upset Nessie again. And this time it would be my fault. I'm not sure she would thank me if I tell her I was just trying to help…"

"She would understand; she's good like that."

"And then there is Bella. I know she is your girlfriend and all but the way she treats Nessie is just cruel. I saw her taunting her at the party, and the way Nessie acts around her makes me nervous."

Edward sat quietly in his chair, mulling over his sisters words, trying to find the right way to tell her…

"Alice, maybe you should leave Bella and Nessie to sort out their own problems. There are a lot of things you don't know about the two of them"

Alice paused, giving her brother a pointed stare

"You know something…"

"I know Bella, and therefore I know about Nessie. There are things between them that only they can fix, if they want to, that is. Be careful not to make a point of getting involved Alice, it's really not your concern"

"Wait, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that Nessie and Bella have a history. She has known that girl for a long, long time…"

**I know this chapter is shorter than the others, thank you soo much for all your support! Please keep the reviews coming, and any constructive criticism is much appreciated! x**


	6. Chapter 6

Victoria and Renee had been friends since their first day of school. The brunette and the red-head were both very alike and surprisingly different. Renee was impulsive; as swift as the wind whilst Victoria was level headed and careful. They had laughed together, cried together, loved together and lost together. When Isabella was born, Victoria was like a second mother, calm and caring when Renee was angry or upset. She had struggled with motherhood, making stupid decisions that Victoria would find reckless and immature. They would fight over the stupidest things; both with different ideas of how a child should be raised. Charlie was helpful, but nothing could fight the wrath of two grown women, especially when it came to the welfare of a child.

Victoria had Phillip; a handsome, charming, caring guy who understood her when Renee couldn't. Over time this pulled Victoria and Renee apart, with Bella's welfare at stake, and Charlie unable to reason with his impulsive wife.

Granted, Renee was not a bad mother, she loved her daughter with all her heart, so much so that it hurt her to see Bella smile at Victoria or giggle when she held her, especially when she struggled to get the same reactions herself.

But Renee could never stop loving Victoria, she knew she only meant well. It was just over a year later that Renesmee was born; a small and beautiful bundle of pale chubby limbs, bright green eyes and fiery red hair. It seemed that upon her birth, the balance between Renee and Victoria had been restored. Both were proud supportive mothers of beautiful daughters.

The problems started when Nessie was six, and Bella was seven. It seemed that Renee's free spirited attitude was genetic, as Bella grew into a feisty, difficult child who argued against her mother and caused all kinds of problems. There would be days where Nessie was dragged along to the Swan house, forced to play with Bella as her mother comforted Renee and told her everything would be ok.

However over time things just got worse; with Bella acting up, Victoria had to intervene more as Renee would make excuses to leave the house, with Bella in Victoria's care. Soon it became normal to have Bella staying over most nights as her parents would fight. Sometimes Nessie overheard her parents talking, and the topics varied from neglecting Bella to being a responsible adult.

Then Charlie became a more frequent visitor, taking long naps on the couch, Bella curled into his side. They would stay for tea, and sometimes, Nessie could see Charlie close to tears, excusing himself from the table before dinner was finished.

It soon became clear that the Swan household was falling apart, and although Nessie felt bad for Charlie, who always seemed upset, with Bella it was a different story. She would glare at Nessie across the table, steal her toys and books, and lie to Victoria to get Nessie in trouble. They would fight and shout at each other, like siblings, but Nessie had never wanted Bella to be her sister.

"I think your mum loves me more than you" she would say

"No she doesn't"

"I think she does, I know she does. She told me"

"Liar!"

"Don't get upset, don't be a cry baby, no one will love you if you cry…"

Sometimes Nessie thought that this was true, at least when it came to Bella. One time she was walking up the stairs to her room, all her toys bundled under her arms, balancing precariously on each step, when she heard a noise. Sneaking silently across the hallway, past her parents' room and the guest room, the sound grew louder. It was coming from the bathroom. Nessie pressed her small ear against the door catching the soft sound of crying from the other side. Her parents and Charlie were in the kitchen, so it could only be Bella.

Nessie felt sad, even though she didn't like Bella, she felt bad that she didn't have a loving mother, and that her father wasn't always as happy as hers. Without thinking, Nessie pushed the bathroom door open, to reveal Bella sitting on the edge of the bath, a tissue stuffed against her eyes. At the sound of an intruder she bolted upright and glared at Nessie.

"Get out!" she shouted, her voice shaky from her tears.

Nessie didn't move, instead she dropped her toys on the floor, and picked out of the pile, a soft brown bear with warm chocolate eyes and a friendly smile. She handed him to Bella.

"This is Garret. He always makes me feel better when I'm sad."

Bella seemed shocked; she took the bear from Nessie and held him close.

As Nessie gathered all her things and walked to her room, she heard the bathroom door close, but this time she couldn't hear any crying.

It seemed that for the time being, Nessie and Bella were no longer at war. Charlie was getting better, Bella became less feisty, but it had to be said that nothing changed about Renee. She continued to leave Bella in her Best friends care, ignoring her husband and her daughter altogether. She would drink now, bottles and bottles a day that would leave her unconscious on the kitchen floor.

"I'm just going to see Renee" Victoria would say, taking with her the usual items; bin bag, towels, cleaning products.

This was the ways she dealt with it, cleaning up the bottles and broken glass, cleaning the floor where the drink was spilt, and when Renee would have vomited. Then proceeding to help Renee into the bath where she would recover from the night and be tucked into bed.

Bella was kept away from the house, all her belongings moved into a new flat with Charlie, who regretted to admit that his wife needed help.

Almost a year passed, with Bella having the full knowledge of her mother's whereabouts she had become used to the fact that it was unlikely that her mother would be coming back. Nessie and Bella seemed to have a mutual agreement to be nice to each other. The Swan family would come over for dinner, and when Bella had to stay the night, Nessie would spot her cuddly bear Garret in Bella's' bag.

It seemed that time did heal wounds, as around a year after she was admitted; Renee was released from the institute with almost clean bill of health. She had stopped drinking, was emotionally more stable and became a bigger part of Bella's life again.

But she could never be a better mother; her wild, free spirited side never laid dormant for long, and soon she was talking of whisking Bella off to the other side of the world, to travel across the globe as free as a bird. Naturally this raised concern for both Charlie and Nessie's parents, especially Victoria.

The rain fell in heavy sheets that swept across the black road in waves. It was one of the coldest days in March, with prolonged frost biting the air that clawed its way through the open passenger window.

"Renee please shut the window, it's freezing in here and the girls will get cold."

"stop fussing Vick', they don't mind. A bit of fresh air never did anyone any harm"

"Please. It's freezing."

It was true that the two innocent girls in the back of the car were freezing from the icy wind, but neither uttered a word, they knew never to get in the middle of Renee and Victoria's fights.

They were more frequent these days, each one louder and angrier than the last.

"Just stop it Vick'"

"Rene-"

"I'm fucking fed up with your need to control everything!"

"Renee! The children!"

"Oh don't give me that! You don't give a damn about what they hear, probably telling them lies about me behind my back anyway."

"Where did you get that idea, stop being stupid Renee"

"Stupid? Last time I heard it was raving mad! You're manipulative Vicky. A controlling manipulative woman who thinks she can tell me how to look after my child!"

"Enough!"

"You know it's true! I can't even spend the day with my daughter without you coming to take her away at night!"

Victoria sighed, trying to calm herself down. The rain was getting heavier and the windscreen wipers were lashing to and fro. Bella squeezed Garrets left paw, whilst Nessie held tight to his right.

Renee spun in her seat, leaning round the side of her seat to stare at the two little girls.

"Poor unfortunate souls" she whispered, her brown hair flying in the breeze, making her look demented.

Suddenly, her eyes locked on Garret; his fuzzy fur, black pearly eyes and stitched smile. Nessie felt Bella's grip tighten.

Renee still stared at the bear, and then at Nessie, her deep brown eyes burning and angry, her lips tightening to an angry white line.

"Where did you get that bear? That's not your bear, is it Bella."

"His name is Garret" she whispered "Nessie gave him to me"

Renee gripped the side of the seat tighter, something was bothering her. She shot a glance at Nessie, who shrank back further into her seat.

"You can't have him. Give him back" she spoke low and sharp, the sound making Bella flinch.

"But-"

"I don't want you to have him. Give him back."

Bella looked like she might cry; Nessie wasn't sure what to do. "It's ok Aunt Renee, I said she cou-"

"Shut up Nessie! I don't care what you said!" Screeched Renee, her hands reaching out like claws to grab the bear

"RENEE!" Shouted Victoria, swerving the car as she tried to pull Renee away from the back seat "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? STOP IT!"

"HOW DARE YOU TRY TO TAKE CONTROL OF MY DAUGHTER?" Renee screeched, grabbing Victoria by the shoulders as she tried to shove her back against the window.

"Stop!" Victoria shouted "You're going to get us killed! You're scaring the girls!"

She tried to keep hold of the steering wheel but Renee stopped her by grabbing her throat violently.

Nessie screamed and Bella cried as the car swung out of control onto the other side of the road. The rain was almost deafening, but Nessie could only hear her heart as a flood of yellow light raced towards them, and suddenly everything slowed.

Bella opened her mouth to scream, just as Renee turned to face the oncoming truck, and Victoria, realizing what was happening, looked her daughter dead in the eye as she pushed herself out of her seat and over the two girls, shielding them from the crash.

The scream seemed to last forever, and it rang in Nessie's ears until everything went black.

She was unconscious when they pulled her out of the wreck. Her tiny delicate frame limp in the paramedics arms. He couldn't stop crying silent hot tears that stung his frozen face. He wasn't allowed to move, to get closer, not that he would have been able to.

She was covered in blood. Later he would find out that it wasn't hers, it was her mothers.

Soon after, another child was pulled from the other side, her mahogany hair clinging to her face; she whimpered in the paramedics arms, moaning a name that stirred anger in Phil even to this day.

He was cold now, freezing in the dark, shaking from the fear. The next section of car was stripped back for the paramedics to attend to. He felt himself go ice cold as a man pulled from the dark space a cuddly bear.

His once golden brown fur was soaked with blood that fell in crimson drops onto the damp road.

Phillip felt himself shatter. Falling slowly to the cold wet floor, his cry of pain turned heads as the once strong, handsome man fell into an ugly heap on the floor. He cried, and he cried, relentless sobs that rattled his body as realization set in. it was her blood.

**I know this is a really short chapter, but it has important stuff in it that I hope makes up for the lack of length. This is my first time at trying to write something with action/drama so I hope I did it justice, hope you enjoyed this! Constructive criticism is always welcome! **


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